Director Steven Spielberg's long cherished dream of making a film on the life of legendary civil rights activist Martin Luther King JR is all set to come true.

The Academy award winning director has been granted permission to make a biopic on the late activist by the King estate, Variety magazine online reported.

"We are all honoured that the King Estate is giving us the opportunity to tell the story of these defining, historic events. It is our hope that the creative power of film and the impact of Dr King's life can combine to present a story of undeniable power that we can all be proud of," Spielberg said.

Spielberg's production company DreamWorks has won pending legal case to acquire the rights to the Luther's intellectual property and the director will now be able to use King's speeches, books and famous works in his film which were copyrighted during his life.

King, a leading campaigner for equality for African-American citizens, was assassinated in 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 39.