After shocking America by taking home the best picture oscar for 2013’s “12 Years as A Slave” director Steve McQueen who’s notorious for his unconventional choices is tackling a surprising historical figure as his next film, Paul Robeson. He’s remembered as an American singer and actor who became involved with the Civil Rights Movement, and things have come full circle as Harry Belafonte a friend and a collaborator of Robeson has jumped onboard to advise the film.

According to the Guardian:

The pair met at the New York Film Critics awards. “We get on like a house on fire,” McQueen told the Guardian. “I never thought I’d make a new friend, and a man who is 87 years old but I’m very happy, he’s a beautiful man.”

With this film and Steve McQueen’s recently announced HBO series, the coming 2015 -2016 will be filled with some great works of cinema.