Barack Obama never gave up in his pursuit of future wife Michelle. After being turned down multiple times, he finally convinced her to go on their first date -- the events of which will be immortalized in the new film "Southside With You."
Screenwriter Richard Tanne will direct the screenplay that he and actress Tika Sumpter developed together, according to Deadline. Tracey Bing and Stephanie Allain will produce the film for Allain's Homegrown Pictures.
"Stephanie and I are excited to produce this smart and timeless film that sheds light on one of the great love stories of our time," Bing told Deadline.
Sumpter will star as Michelle Obama (maiden name Robinson), while the film has yet to cast an actor to play the future President of the United States. Sumpster recently appeared in the James Brown biopic "Get On Up" and stars on the OWN series "The Haves and the Have Nots."
"Richard really captures the essence of that romantic connection between Barack and Michelle that is so evident in the way that they look at each other. We are looking forward to finding the perfect Barack," Bing said.
Barack met his wife at the Chicago law firm Sidley Austin. After his first year at Harvard Law, he took a summer job as an associate and Michelle was his younger boss. He waited a few weeks before asking her out the first time.
"I kept asking. She kept refusing," the president told Oprah.com. "'I'm your advisor,' she said. 'It's not appropriate.' Finally I offered to quit my job, and at last she relented."
Barack treated Michelle to an all-day affair around Chicago for their first outing together in the summer of '89. They visited the Art Institute of Chicago, took a long stroll down Michigan Avenue and stopped for an ice cream cone at Baskin Robbins. They finished the night at the movies to see "Do the Right Thing" by up-and-coming director Spike Lee.
"I took her to this new movie that everybody was talking about, directed by a guy that not that many people had heard of, but it was supposed to be pretty good," the president said in message commemorating the film's 25th anniversary.
The movie will start filming in July on location in Chicago.
