November 25, 2009 – IGN chatted with acclaimed director Spike Lee yesterday about the DVD release of his documentary Kobe Doin’ Work, during which time we also asked the filmmaker about some long-gestating Joints on his development slate. Here’s what he had to say about them:

IGN: What’s up with Inside Man 2?

Spike Lee: Waiting on Universal Pictures. They have the script. They have the budget and we’ll see if they wanna make it. Denzel’s ready. Clive Owen’s ready. I’m ready. Jodie’s ready. Everyone’s ready. It’s like, “Coach, put us in!”

IGN: You’ve long wanted to do a film about Joe Louis [entitled Save Us, Joe Louis].

Spike Lee: I’ve been unable to get the financing. What’s really sad about that is that I had made a promise to the late great Budd Schulberg that we’d get it done and Budd passed recently. He was 95. Budd being, of course, the screenwriter of On the Waterfront and the novelist of What Makes Sammy Run. Great, great, great, great writer. IGN: Let’s say that project eventually came together. Do you envision a star playing Joe Louis, or just any actor that’s right for it?
Spike Lee: Well, to tell you the truth, I’ve not thought about it for awhile, especially since the death of Budd Schulberg. And sometimes it takes awhile for things to get together, so hopefully we’ll get it done one day.

IGN: What’s happening with that James Brown biopic?

Spike Lee: Financing. I had the all-time biopic trilogy: Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis and James Brown. And I’ve not been able to get them to fruition yet.

IGN: And you’re working on a documentary about Michael Jordan as well, right?

Spike Lee: No, that has not happened yet so you can squash that.

Source: IGN