Nate Parker Adds Armie Hammer to Directorial Debut, 'The Birth of a Nation'

This weekend you'll be able to watch Nate Parker smolder opposite Gugu Mbatha-Raw in the pop music romance, Beyond the Lights. I've long been under the belief that Parker is the next Denzel Washington (they starred together in The Great Debaters), and like Denzel he's taking a turn behind the camera. Parker has been developing his directorial debut, a Nat Turner biopic titled The Birth of a Nation, and he's just added his first major co-star.

Armie Hammer, who hasn't been seen much since The Lone Ranger, has joined the film about Turner, an African-American slave who famously led a violent rebellion throughout Virginia in 1831 that led to the deaths of more than 60 whites. Turner would become one of the most controversial figures in American history. Hammer will play Samuel Turner, the son of Nat's first master.

Parker has been taking his time getting everything just right for this one, and for good reason. It's an important story that's bound to be polarizing whenever it does come out. As it stands right now there's no word on when he'll begin production.  In the meantime, we'll see Hammer next in Warner Bros.' remake of The Man from UNCLE.  [Deadline]