Regina King Apparently Didn't Know She May Be in the Running to Direct the New Superman Movie

The Oscar-winning actress said she hadn't heard the rumors until her Saturday appearance on MSNBC.

If Regina King is on the shortlist of directors to helm the upcoming Superman movie, someone forgot to tell her! 

During an appearance on MSNBC's The Cross Connection, the actress turned director was seemingly shocked to learn that she's at the center of the buzz surrounding the film. Host Tiffany Cross broke the news to King that she is one of the directors currently regarded as the top contenders to helm the project for DC and Warner Bros.

"You and Barry Jenkins, both of your names have been thrown out there," Cross told King. "Is there any news you can break this morning about those conversations?"

But King denied any knowledge of the rumors, calling it all "news to me."

"You have broke the news to me. A news break, live on MSNBC," she told the host, laughing. "Yeah, no, I had not heard that until just now. Oh, wow."

King may have been playing coy to throw attention off of her while behind-the-scenes deals go down, but if she really hasn't been aware of the rumors, she has a good reason. The One Night in Miami director is working on a film adaptation of Image Comics' Bitter Root, a series of books that follow a family of monster hunters living during the Harlem Renaissance, who use the titular root in their battles against jinoo. King will direct and produce the movie for Legendary Pictures alongside Black Panther director Ryan Coogler. Bryan Edward Hill, who will write the script for the upcoming Power Rangers film, is currently rewriting a draft of the screenplay.

As for the next Superman film, speculation has been whirling since Shadow and Act broke the news of the project with Ta-Nehisi Coates attached to write the screenplay and a Black actor rumored to don the red cape. J.J. Abrams will produce the feature, and Hannah Minghella will serve as producer.

Although a director hasn't been attached to the project, The Hollywood Reporter speculated that, along with King and Jenkins, Ryan Coogler, Steven Caple Jr., J.D. Dillard, and Shaka King are on the director shortlist. 

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