In July 2000, Lee acquired the rights to make a film about [[Joe Louis]] film from a script he wrote with boxing expert [[Bert Randolph Sugar]] and scriptwriting legend [[Budd Schulberg]] under the title "Save Me, Joe Louis".<ref>{{cite web|title=Spike Lee takes on Joe Louis boxing film|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2000/jul/28/news.spikelee|date=28 July 2000|publisher=The Guardian|access-date=19 May 2019}}</ref> The movie was focused on Louis’ fights with [[Max Schmeling]] with [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] interested in playing Schmeling.<ref>{{cite web|last=Toro|first=Gabe|title=Arnold Schwarzenegger Could Have Played Max Schmeling In Spike Lee’s Unproduced Joe Louis Biopic|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2011/09/arnold-schwarzenegger-could-have-played-max-schmeling-in-spike-lees-unproduced-joe-louis-biopic-116371/|date=13 September 2013|publisher=Indiewire|access-date=19 May 2019}}</ref> In July 2006, Schulberg mentioned that Lee talked with [[Terrence Howard]] to play Louis.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ecksel|first=Robert|title=ARTICLES OF 2006Save Us Spike Lee, Budd Schulberg and Joe Louis|url=http://tss.ib.tv/boxing/articles-of-2006/4685-save-us-spike-lee-budd-schulberg-and-joe-louis|date=26 November 2006|publisher=The Sweet Science|access-date=19 May 2019}}</ref> The film fell into [[development hell]] because Lee didn't get half of the budget he needed.
