Movie in the Works about Motown Anchor's Life with Vitiligo
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WJBK (Detroit) Morning Anchor Lee Thomas shared the reality of his life with vitiligo in his book, "Turning White."
Now there are plans for his journey to make the leap to the big screen.
A trio of filmmakers rooted in Michigan have optioned Thomas' story and plan to write and produce the film version under their new company, Eden Road Pictures.
Thomas will be on board as an executive producer.
Long a popular reporter and anchor on Detroit's broadcast journalism scene, Thomas found out in the mid-1990s that he had vitiligo, which destroys some or all of the pigmentation that gives skin its color.
The local TV star uses makeup when he's on the air, but he has shared his struggles with vitiligo through his memoir as well as a Fox 2 special report and many national TV appearances.
For Thomas, speaking out as an African-American man in the public eye was a way to help others deal with the physical and emotional challenges of the condition.
Jaden Sawicki, a teenage filmmaker from Clarkston who has gained Hollywood attention for his work, said in a statement released Tuesday that he's thrilled Eden Road Pictures is taking on a movie about Thomas' memoir.
"It’s shockingly beautiful. His words are so real and honest as we see the struggle he’s come to face over the years as he’s battled vitiligo, a skin disorder, while being in the spotlight. I could not be more honored that Lee chose Eden Road to tell his story."
