David Oyelowo has his new role. He’ll be starring as Ossian Sweet, a Michigan doctor, who gained acclaimed during a 1925 murder trial, in the Arc of Justice.
Dr. Sweet was arrested for defending himself against a mob trying to force him out of his newly purchased home in a white neighborhood. Known as the Sweet Trials, he, his family and friends who helped defend his home, were tried by an all-white jury of murder charges. Shots were fired during the mob and one white man was killed. The Sweet Trials have been noted to be an important chapter in the civil rights movement. The NAACP helped fund Sweet’s defense team, which included attorney Clarence Darrow. Darrow will be played by Russell Crowe.
Arc of Justice will be directed by Narcos showrunner Jose Padilha and financed by the Mark Gordon Company.
