Demme In, Scorsese Out For Bob Marley Documentary

Damn, here's some disappointing news. Remember that recently announced Bob Marley documentary that Marty Scorsese was supposed to direct to meet the anniversary of what would have been Marley's 65th birthday?

Well, evidently Scorsese has dropped out of the project and taking over for him is director Jonathan Demme (the Talking Heads live concert documentary "Stop Making Sense," "Silence of the Lambs").

It's not horrible news, Demme knows his music (aside from the T.Heads doc he also did the the well-received, "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" and seems to have been tackling a lot of documentaries of late including the positively reviewed "Jimmy Carter Man from Plains"), but we would have loved to have seen Scorsese's take on Marley since his Bob Dylan doc, "No Direction Home" was so badass and comprehensive. (but with a George Harrison doc on deck and an alleged Frank Sinatra biopic, plus other dramatic features, Marty's got more than a full deck).

According to Variety's Set List blog, the film is still on track for Feb. 6, 2010, the 65th anniversary of Marley's birthday and the doc is still being produced by produced by the Marley family’s Tuff Gong Pictures and Steve Bing’s Shangri-La Entertainment. And like we listed above, Scorsese evidently dropped out because of "scheduling reasons" (i.e. he had too much on his plate).

“I am thrilled and humbled by this extraordinary opportunity to participate in fashioning a motion picture that can serve as a worthy vessel for the spiritual and musical brilliance of Bob Marley, who, most everybody agrees, is one of the greatest human beings of modern times,” Demme said in a statement.

Demme's long relationship to rock also includes the Robyn Hitchcock doc “Storefront Hitchcock” plus he is currently editing a new concert film, “Neil Young Trunk Show.”
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We Not Jammin': Rights Imbroglio Mars Weinstien's Bob Marley Biopic; Project May Be Pushed To 2015(!)

The forthcoming Bob Marley biopic being produced by the Weinstein Company has hit a major snag and its name is Marty Scorsese.

Despite being executive produced by Rita Marley (the film is based on her book, "No Woman No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley") , Scorsese's also upcoming Marley documentary, being produced by the Marley family-owned Tuff Gong Pictures and Steven Bing's Shangri La banner, is the first theatrical doc to license Marley songs (and evidently they have first dibs).

Apparently since both films are scheduled for a close release date (late 2009 for Harvey, early 2010 for Marty), the Scorsese camp feels the films are in direct competition according to the Hollywood Reporter.

"Martin Scorsese doesn't want to go out with a competing project, and Steven Bing has made deals with companies" that are now compromised, Blue Mountain Music president and alleged vampire, and total movie cock-blocker Chris Blackwell told the Hollywood trade paper. "The Weinstein project has put the documentary into jeopardy."

Blue Mountain Music is Marley's music publisher and it's not looking good for the Weinstein project at all since Blackwell would like the biopic delayed until at least 2015! (no, seriously)

"All our efforts and support are currently directed toward the documentary," the untitled project's executive producer Ziggy Marley said. "We believe that this project is the best way to represent our father's life from his perspective, and any other film project pertaining to our father will be empty without his music to support it."

A perspective from Rita Marley suggest people were clued out when they first made this deal. "When I sold the film rights to my book," Rita Marley told The Reporter, "the contract did not include any rights to use my husband's music." Roh roh.

According to HR, the Marley family's lawyer Terri Dipalo denied the latest move is a negotiating tactic to compel the Weinsteins to buy Marley music rights or to up the price for those rights. Blackwell expects a deal to be reached soon whereby the Weinstein Co. would take a stake in the Scorsese docu and agree to postpone its biopic.

Maybe Chris Blackwell IS a vampire!
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Bob Marley Biopic Coming Via The Weinstein Company In 2009; Rita Marley Wants Lauryn Hill To Play Her

One Bob Marley movie in the works apparently just isn't enough.

Marty Scorsese might have his upcoming documentary in the works to meet the anniversary of what would have been Marley's 65th birthday (it won't see release until February 2010), but now the Weinstein Company have their own picture in the works - this one a biopic.

The maverick film duo Harvey and Bob Weinstein have optioned the rights to "No Woman No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley," written by Rita Marley, the reggae legend's wife.

Update: According to a "corrected" (updated?) Hollywood Reporter story, Rita Marley is not only executive-producing, if she has it her way, former Fugee singer, Lauryn Hill will play her in the film (see how that ties into an older version of this biopic below; Hill is "married" to Rohan Marley, but Rita is not his mother, the legitimacy of their "marriage" has been questioned more than once).

"Lauryn would be ideal [to play me]" Marley told HR. "She sees my life as her life." Hill will apparently approve the adaptation currently being written by Lizzie Borden ("Working Girls"), who is down in Jamaica completing the script.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Marley will be played by two actors, one portraying him as a teenager and another as an adult, with the "option of the original songs, covers sung by an actor or a "Ray"-style blend of the two all possible for the soundtrack."

Published in 2004 by Hyperion 'My Life With Bob Marley' chronicles the couple's famously tempestuous relationship which survived several break-ups, affairs and spawned four children (Marley allegedly may have fathered up to 22 children). The project is said to be in early development with an expected late 2009 release (just enough time to beat Scorsese).

Marley died of cancer at 36 in 1981, and Rita Marley defends herself in the against allegations that she financially mismanaged his estate.

"This is about a girl from the ghetto and a boy from the rural areas," Rita Marley told Variety. "It's more than being a superstar -- we have trod the rocky roads. It's more than just a story, it's a reality."

Previous Bob Marley biopics hit roadbloacks; Warner Bros. had optioned Timothy White's "Catch a Fire" in 1999 with Lauryn Hill up for the role of Rita and Marley's son Rohan (Hill's - estranged? - husband) to play his father, but the project ground to a halt after writer/director Ron Shelton, left the film.
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Scorsese To Direct Bob Marley Documentary For His 65th Birthday

Maybe it's time to officially christen him the new rock director (or at least documentary rock ace). While he's always flirted with rock music in his movies, Marty Scorsese apparently plans to live out the winter of his career making documentaries on iconic rock figures.

After completing documentaries on Bob Dylan ("No Direction Home") the Rolling Stones ("Shine A Light") and an upcoming untitled doc about "quiet" Beatle George Harrison, what's subject will the estimable filmmaker tackle for an encore? None other than reggae legend Bob Marley according to Variety.

The as-0f-yet untitled film will be produced by the same team that produced "Shine A Light," which will debut in North American theaters April 4. The Marley doc is already being set for release on Feb. 6, 2010 - the day that what would have been the singer's 65th birthday.

"I am thrilled that the Marley family will finally have the opportunity to document our father's legacy and are truly honored to have Mr. Scorsese guide the journey," son Ziggy Marley said.

The uber-prolific director's next project is "Shutter Island", "Ashecliffe," based on the Dennis Lehane novel, "Shutter Island," that will feature Michelle Williams, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Patricia Clarkson and lead star Leonard DiCaprio who is evidently contractually obligated to star in every Scorsese feature film for the rest of eternity (god, cast someone new for once; someone who can act would be nice).

Watch: Bob Marley on "Herb" and Prohbition

Watch: Bob Marley on roots and faith

Watch: Bob Marley - "Africa Unite"

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