Former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan David Duke once told a Black undercover cop that a Black man could never infiltrate the hate group on his watch. But that’s exactly what retired Colorado Springs detective Ron Stallworth did from 1978-1979. He wrote about how he became a chapter leader in his 2014 book Black Klansman, and now Spike Lee and Get Out director Jordan Peele will tell his story on the silver screen.

Son of Denzel and Pauletta Washington

With production set to begin in a few months, John David Washington (son of Denzel and Pauletta Washington) is said to be negotiating the starring role. Lee will direct while he and Peele will co-produce. The timing of the project might give one the impression that this was a recent undertaking, but Lee and Peele have been working on this movie for at least two years.

The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Spike Lee will direct the dramatic crime thriller “Black Klansman”. The film, which will star John David Washington and will be produced by Jordan Peele, is written by Lee, Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, and Kevin Willmott and tells “Ron Stallworth (played by Washington), a detective in Colorado Springs, Colorado, who in 1978 answered an ad in the local newspaper seeking new Klan members. He not only gained membership, but rose through the ranks to become the head of the local chapter. Stallworth, who is black, was able to gather all sorts of intelligence by pretending to be a white supremacist on the phone or via other forms of correspondence but sent a white fellow officer in his place for any in-person meetings. During his undercover work, Stallworth managed to sabotage several cross-burnings and other activities of the notorious hate group.” What do you think of Spike Lee directing “Black Klansman”? Let me know in the comments! #SpikeLee #BlackKlansman #RonStallworth #JohnDavidWashington #JordanPeele #CharlieWachtel #DavidRabinowitz #KevinWillmott #KKK #KuKluxKlan #ColoradoSprings #BlackKlansmanMovie #MovieNewsNow

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In Black Klansman, Stallworth recounts how he answered an ad in a Colorado Springs newspaper looking for new members of the White nationalist group. The ad simply read, “Ku Klux Klan: For information, call (phone number).” He called the number and spoke to a soldier in the Army stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado. Stallworth was able to convince him over the phone that he was White and a perfect fit for the expanding organization.

“I told him I was a pure Aryan, White man, which in and of itself is a joke,” Stallworth told NBC’s Dan Abrams. “But I said I was a pure Aryan, White-blooded American male, that I had been the victim of racial prejudice because of the dominance of Blacks, Jews, Mexicans, and other minorities, except I used the racial terms that they liked to use referring to those groups.”

I talked to the #BlackKlansman on 'Get It Got It Good' today- a retired black cop who infiltrated the KKK. Cool story. Up now on iTunes. It's short.

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From there, Stallworth sent a White friend who worked in the narcotics division in his place for all face-to-face meetings. He always used his real name, while allowing his fellow officer to use all of his credentials except those with photos of himself on them. Their teamwork led Stallworthy’s stand-in to be elected leader of the new chapter. He was also able to stop any cross-burnings from happening  in Colorado Springs for the entire year they were investigating.

The whole story will be told in the movie which will bear the same name as Stallworth’s book. With production on Black Klansman set to begin this fall, expect the pairing of Lee and Peele to make for some cinematic magic.