The Wire's Michael K. Williams says his role in Django Unchained is "going to go"

Witness the emergence of Michael K. Williams: Movie Star. At least I hope so. If you don't recognize the name then you surely recognize his face. At least if you've been a fan of good TV over the last few years. Williams has cemented his place in television history for his portrayal of dominant gangster Omar Little in HBO's The Wire. He's also turning heads as Chalky White on the prohibition series, Boardwalk Empire. But when it comes to movies, Williams' roles have been minor of late, with the two most recent coming in Brooklyn's Finest and in The Road. Last week he hinted at the possibility of making a big jump into Quentin Tarantino's controversial western, Django Unchained, and now in an excellent interview with Ain't It Cool News(where he also talks joining the cast of Community), he seems even more confident it's going to happen.

Williams: I’m going to dare to say it’s going to go. Not the lead role…

After openly courting Will Smith for the lead role of Django, a freed slave who teams up with a German bounty hunter to get revenge on an evil plantation owner, the gig ultimately went to Jamie Foxx(Ray). But Williams says Smith wasn't in the picture at the end, and that the final decision came down to him and Foxx. Check out the way Williams says he was informed of the decision...

Williams:  It came down to Jamie and I for Django, and he was gracious enough to call me and tell me that “Jamie was his nigger.”

If anybody other than Tarantino said that they'd have their asses kicked up and down the aisles of Mann's Chinese Theater. Tarantino went on to write a role specifically for Williams, and although what that entails is unclear, he does have a block of time set aside for possible shooting...

Williams: Yes, I’ve been given a timeline. January through April. I’ve been given some dates when he’s going to want me to work, but I haven’t gotten the official word yet.

His dance card continues to fill up quickly, noting that he's getting "a lot of heat" from the remake of 1976' musical, Sparkle. The current version is being directed by Salim Akil(Jumping the Broom) based on a script by his wife, Mara Brock Akil. Williams joins a phenomenal cast of acting and singing talent including Cee-Lo Green, Whitney Houston, Jordin Sparks, Carmen Ejogo, Derek Luke, Mike Epps, Omari Hardwicke, and Tika Sumpter. The original featured an all Curtis Mayfield soundtrack, but R. Kelly will be providing the score this time around. The story follows an up 'n coming singer named Sparkle Williams, and her up and down career along with those of her friends and family.

So things are definitely looking up for Williams, and while I tend to not be a huge fan of those "Dreamgirls"-type stories, Sparkle's potential is too great to ignore. Here's hoping we learn more soon about Williams' role in Django Unchained.