Chinonye Chukwu’s upcoming film Till about Mamie Till-Mobley’s fight for justice for the brutal murder of her 14-year-old son, Emmett Louis Till, will feature Oscar winner Whoopi Goldberg as Emmett’s grandmother Alma Carthan and Danielle Deadwyler (Watchmen) as Mamie Till-Mobley.

Chukwu also wrote the script based on another draft by Keith Beauchamp and Michael J P Reilly. Beauchamp conducted extensive research for his award-winning documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till, which premiered in 2005.

Till follows Mamie Till-Mobley, whose quest for justice for her 14-year-old son Emmett Louis Till became a defining milestone in the civil rights movement. Mamie’s choice to have an open casket at Emmett’s burial and to have David Jackson’s photographs of the funeral published in Jet magazine was motivated by her need to ensure that everyone understood what had happened to her son.

Chukwu, in a statement about the project, said, “I’m honored to be partnering with MGM’s Orion Pictures and an incredible producing team in telling a story that will delve deeply into the humanities of Mamie and Emmett, the love and joy they shared, and the activist consciousness that grows within Mamie as she seeks justice for her son. I’m thrilled to be working with Danielle, a powerhouse of an actor, who will bring a brilliant complexity and groundedness to her portrayal of Mamie. And it is a dream come true to be working with the legendary Whoopi Goldberg, especially in telling this story.”

“We have waited a very long time to bring this historically necessary important film to people,” added Goldberg. “And as we watch the repression of American History when it comes to people of color it makes it even that more important. I couldn’t be with better people: Fred, Barbara, Chinonye, Keith, Michael, and Danielle.”

Filming begins in Sept. in Atlanta, Georgia.