Move over, Pink Panther. Here come the Black Panthers. Two English-language European film projects aim to bring leading figures from the U.S. Black Power movement to the big screen soon. Franco-Algerian producer-writer-director Rachid Bouchareb, whose film “London River” screens here in competition, is setting up a movie on the early life of Angela Davis, a leading figure of the civil rights movement and one-time FBI regenage.

Bouchareb, who will produce the movie through his French production company, plans to shoot in summer 2010 with a budget in the region of $20 million-$30 million, and is linig up a major French backer. The script is by novelist Yasmina Khadra, whose book “The Attack” has been optioned by Focus Features. No cast is yet attached but Bouchareb has his lead actress firmly in mind: “I want Beyonce Knowles to play Angela Davis,” he said. “It’s a great dramatic role for her.”