This weekend Anthony Mackie will be suiting up once more as Sam "Falcon" Wilson in Captain America: Civil War, but outside of his Marvel commitments he's found time for other interesting roles. His now signed on to play superstar attorney Johnnie Cochran in a film that has nothing to do with the O.J. Simpson case, but a case just as important to legal giant's career.
Deadline reports that Mackie will produce and star in an untitled movie about the 1981 Signal Hill police brutality case. This was probably the case that first made Cochran one of the most sought-after attorneys in America. The case saw him representing Cal State Long Beach football player Ron Settles, who was found hanged in his prison cell shortly after being pulled over and arrested for speeding in Los Angeles County. His death was ruled a suicide, but Cochran convinced the family to exhume the body, which revealed that he was choked to death. The Settles family won $760K in a civil suit, leading to reforms and the police chief's resignation.This is obviously a very timely piece given the rash of police brutality cases seen recently. And this story in particular has echoes of Sandra Bland, an African-American motorist who was arrested over a minor infraction then found in her cell hanged to death days later. With the O.J. Simpson case being profiled on FX's American Crime Story, Cochran (who is played by Courtney B. Vance on the series) is once again in the spotlight and this film should capitalize on that a little bit.
