Hugh Jackman, Lee Daniels plan Martin Luther King film

The film will tell the story of William Pepper (Jackman), a controversial attorney and activist who for decades has argued that convicted killer James Earl Ray, who recanted his confession and died arguing his innocence, didn't shoot MLK.

The picture will follow Pepper over the years as he wages a one-man campaign, interviewing witnesses and building support for his theory that other interests, including those from the U.S. government, were behind the 1968 Memphis killing. (In a nutshell, Pepper, who is still alive, argues that government interests wanted King dead because of his opposition to the Vietnam War.) It will be based on Pepper's book, which has been adapted for the screen by Hollywood screenwriter Hanna Weg.

The movie has echoes of "JFK," Oliver Stone's film from 20 years ago that also argued for a broad conspiracy behind the assassination of a 1960s icon. Though controversial, the film was a huge hit and won two Oscars.

"Orders" is a second chance of sorts for Daniels and Jackman, who in 2010 got together for the development project "Selma," about the famous Alabama civil-rights march led by King. In that project, Jackman was to play a racist sheriff who led the charge against King. The film was scrapped after it hit financing troubles.