While the adult drama has largely migrated to television, there is one sub-genre that has received a new lease of life on late thanks to a trifecta of success: the rock biopic, which, in very recent years, has earned Best Picture Oscar nominations and wins, acclaim, and more importantly, actual box-office returns. While there has still been a few recent misses that haven’t tapped into any of those achievements (Aretha Franklin, “Respect”), with the success of the Academy-Award-nominated Queen biopic (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) and, to a lesser extent, the Elton John one (“Rocketman”), studios continue forging ahead, confidently believing they can reach those same heights. Paramount Pictures is the latest studio trying to tap into the rock biopic revival. They are teaming with “King Richard” director Reinaldo Marcus Green to make a feature film based on the life of the iconic and beloved Jamaican musician and reggae legend Bob Marley, one of the definitive artists of that genre who continues to be a massive best-seller.
After an exhaustive search by Paramount to find their lead actor, Deadline reports that British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir has been tapped to play Marley in the untitled biopic.
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Ben-Adir is on the rise. He previously played Malcolm X in “One Night In Miami” and most recently joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the Disney+ series “Secret Invasion” that is expected to feature the shape-shifting aliens known as the Skrulls invading Earth.
Marley died of cancer in 1981 at the young age of 36, but his body of work continues to fascinate new generations as they discover the positivity throughout his music. The biopic should appeal to a large audience. Some of the iconic songs in Marley’s catalog include “Get Up, Stand Up,” “One Love,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Could You Be Loved,” “Buffalo Soldier,” “Jammin’” and “Redemption Song.”
Members of the Marley Family such as Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, and Cedella Marley are part of the producing team on behalf of the family-owned Tuff Gong brand. Given the family’s involvement, it’s assumed that the film will be able to use Marley’s songs.
The project also has enormous awards potential, which is surely what Paramount is eyeing. Green’s “King Richard,” led by Will Smith, is already up for multiple Oscars this year, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Original Screenplay. Fingers crossed, it walks away with a couple of statues on Oscar night.