Steven Spielberg is to fulfill his longtime dream to bring the life of legendary civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. to the big screen - he has been granted permission to make a biopic by the King estate.

King, who was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 39, was a leading campaigner over equality for African-American citizens.

Spielberg's production company DreamWorks has won a long running battle to acquire the rights to the late activist's intellectual property - meaning the director will be able to use King's speeches, books and famous works which were copyrighted during his life.

The project is the first film to be authorized by the estate, which is controlled by King's son Dexter.

And Spielberg is delighted he will finally be able to bring the story to cinema audiences.

He tells Variety.com, "We are all honored that the King Estate is giving us the opportunity to tell the story of these defining, historic events. It is our hope that the creative power of film and the impact of Dr. King's life can combine to present a story of undeniable power that we can all be proud of."

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)