Spike Lee To Direct James Brown Biopic

GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
edited December 2006 in Strut Central
In my opinion there is no better modern day tribute that can be paid to this manhttp://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/3911943a1860.htmlLOS ANGELES: Director Spike Lee has signed on to shoot a movie about James Brown, the late "Godfather of Soul," Daily Variety has reported. The authorised project is being developed for Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures by Brian Grazer, the Oscar-winning producer of A Beautiful Mind, the trade publication said, adding that production would likely begin in 2008. Brown, the self-proclaimed "hardest working man in show business," died of congestive heart failure on Monday, aged 73. The energetic singer of such soul anthems as Sex Machine and I Feel Good, invented funk music, inspired the dance moves of Mick Jagger and Michael Jackson, and helped pave the way for hip-hop. In recent years, posthumous movies about soul singer Ray Charles and country outlaw Johnny Cash have scored at the box office and won Academy Awards. Daily Variety said Brown played an active role in the project's development, and granted access to his music rights. "Like everybody, I was surprised and saddened that James Brown died," Daily Variety quoted Grazer as saying. "Having known him well, and after spending lots of time with him and researching his life, it's somehow not surprising that he died on Christmas Day. He was the ultimate showman, all the way to the end." Lee, the director of Malcolm X, was most recently in theatres with the thriller Inside Man, which Grazer produced.

  Comments


  • that[/b] sure didn't take long

  • So who will play him?

  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts
    So who will play him?

    Uh, exactly.

    A) Does anyone else think this is a bit tasteless just days after his death?

    B) Can we have a good documentary come out first?

  • GuzzoGuzzo 8,611 Posts
    So who will play him?

    Uh, exactly.

    A) Does anyone else think this is a bit tasteless just days after his death?

    B) Can we have a good documentary come out first?

    a) No I don't think this is tasteless i nthe least bit. Although it was announced today it sounds like plans were in place for a while and this project, most likely won't see the ligh of day until 2008.

    b) I wouldn't mind a good documentary and actually I thnk it would be a great project for Soulstrutters to start up there is enough of us here with film know-how, hook-ups, and energy to do this, and there is more than enough musical experts on him here to get the facts right.

    Casting for this won't take place for a while. I'm guessing they will get a fresh face cause the current crop of "A-list black actors" doesn't really include ayone who looks like JB

  • spelunkspelunk 3,400 Posts

    b) I wouldn't mind a good documentary and actually I thnk it would be a great project for Soulstrutters to start up there is enough of us here with film know-how, hook-ups, and energy to do this, and there is more than enough musical experts on him here to get the facts right.

    Casting for this won't take place for a while. I'm guessing they will get a fresh face cause the current crop of "A-list black actors" doesn't really include ayone who looks like JB

    I'm down, on the real. We could definately pull together something way beyond what one filmmaker could do.

  • CosmoCosmo 9,768 Posts
    Maybe Terrence Howard?

  • So who will play him?

    Will Smith!

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Eddie Murphy!

  • twoplytwoply Only Built 4 Manzanita Links 2,917 Posts
    Wayne Brady?!?!

  • DrWuDrWu 4,021 Posts


    Casting for this won't take place for a while. I'm guessing they will get a fresh face cause the current crop of "A-list black actors" doesn't really include ayone who looks like JB



    Um, excuse me but................



  • SPlDEYSPlDEY Vegas 3,375 Posts
    Decided to move this Here.

    BAM... I should be the Casting Director.



    - spidey
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