Actor Jussie Smollett is set to direct an upcoming film amid his legal battles with the city of Chicago.
Smollett will serve as the director of “B-Boy Blues,” which is based off of the James Earl Hardy novel written in 1994, according to an article published Tuesday by The Hollywood Reporter. The film will begin production on Oct. 17, the outlet reported.
Smollett’s newest production company, SuperMassive Movies, will produce the film as well. SuperMassive Movies has reportedly gained “mid-seven figures” from a partnership with investor Tom Wilson to move forward and produce films from minority filmmakers, THR reported. (RELATED: Jussie Smollett Says He’s Innocent, Calls Claims He Set Up A Hoax ‘Bullsh*t’)
Smollett’s newest project comes in the middle of his legal battle with the city of Chicago. The “Empire” actor has been accused of filing a false police report after an alleged hate crime attack. Smollett claimed two men attacked him in Chicago, put a noose around his neck and said, “this is MAGA country.”
He most recently maintained his innocence in an interview with former CNN commentator Marc Lamont Hill shared on Instagram.
Smollett claimed it has been “frustrating” to stay “quiet” after being accused of filing a false police report.
“What happened in these last two years, it has humbled me in a way that nobody could possibly understand,” Smollett said in the interview. “Out of all these jokers in this entire situation, I am the only human being who has not changed his story one time.”