Bob Marley fans will rejoice as their favorite reggae musician’s life story will soon arrive on the big screen, courtesy of Paramount. King Richard director Reinaldo Marcus Green will helm the untitled biopic with Kingsley Ben-Adir as the iconic musician.
Other cast members confirmed for the film include Tosin Cole, Michael Gandolfini, Nadine Marshall, James Norton, Anthony Welsh, and Lashana Lynch, who will portray Marley’s wife, Rita. The script will be penned by Green and Zach Baylin.
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Bob Marley Biopic Will Focus On A Significant Period In The Musician’s Life
Bob Marley passed away at the age of 36 due to cancer. His short life brought music and color to the world with his famous iconic reggae songs like “Get Up, Stand Up,” “One Love,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Could You Be Loved,” “Buffalo Soldier,” “Jammin’” and “Redemption Song.”
In November 2021, Green spoke with Collider and explained that the biopic will focus mostly on the making of Bob Marley’s album Exodus, which the artist recorded in 1977 as part of Bob Marley and the Wailers.
“I think it’s [about] finding that right window into his life. Our film starts in ’76 and really it’s about the making of Exodus. So that’s primarily the window that we’re going to focus on, with obviously, some flashes to his early life.”
Green also chose this period in Marley’s life as the album was released after the musician survived an assassination attempt. He was also exiled to England from his hometown in Jamaica.
The director is working closely with Marley’s son Ziggy, while his widow Rita and daughter Cedella will serve as executive producers. The biopic’s plot is still kept under wraps, aside from the revelation of the time period. Fans would see how the album Exodus was created, the inspiration behind it, and the impact of the said events in Marley’s life and career. Viewers will also get a glimpse of his personal life and struggles with health.
Musical Biopic Is The New Movie Genre To Watch For
Biopic films have recently found success at the box office, especially those made after the lives of famous pop culture icons. Some of the recent critically-acclaimed musical biopics include Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, and Elvis.
Green is a brilliant director when it comes to biographical movies, as he has worked on several projects in the past translating the lives of real-life figures to the big screen, such as Richard Williams in King Richard.
The untitled Bob Marley biopic will be released on January 12, 2024.
Source: Collider
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