Revelation Films snags rights to autobiography of first black Met Police officer

Norwell Roberts

UK-based Revelation Films has acquired worldwide rights to 2022 autobiography I Am Norwell Roberts, which explores the life of the first black Metropolitan Police officer in London.

Revelation is developing a documentary feature, which will be told against a backdrop of social and political events from each decade of Roberts’ life and career.

Events will be presented through a mixture of archive news, photography and music that defined the time and “will allow the audience to better understand Norwell’s struggles and successes within a world that was often very much working against him,” Revelation said.

There are also plans to expand the IP into a scripted series at Revelation, which has been behind Discovery’s Faces Of The Underworld and The Krays – Myth Behind The Legend for Netflix.

Tony Carne, who founded the prodco in 1992, said: “This is one of the most inspiring stories we’ve had the honour to develop. Norwell has spent his entire life being ahead of the curve and his sheer perseverance has in no small part helped to see significant change in British society.

“His focus and determination to simply be the best copper he could be, in the most trying of circumstances, ploughed a furrow for the Met to become the much more racially diverse organisation it is today. In a time where we desperately need a new, more compassionate tone to converse, disagree and find common ground, Norwell exemplifies this spirit.”

Revelation’s slate includes the third season of true crime show The Real Manhunter for Sky Crime, while two true crime docs are also in production: Bellfield and West End Girls: The Search For A Serial Killer.