Jimi Hendrix is one of the greatest rock artists of all time and considered one of the best guitarists to have ever lived. With biopics about Jim Morrison, Ray Charles and  — it seems strange that the Jimi Hendrix biopic has never made it to the big screen.

Hendrix was born Johnny Allen Hendrix in Seattle, Washington November 27, 1942. Hendrix performed with artists like Tina Turner and Little Richard. He achieved success in Europe but it was his performance at the 1967 Montrey Pop Festival that gave him success in the United States. Struggling with drugs, Hendrix died of an overdose on September 18, 1970. Now Variety is reporting the biopic might actually come to life:

With the Woodstock 40th anni in the spotlight this year, Legendary Pictures is mounting a feature film about Jimi Hendrix, whose perf of “The Star-Spangled Banner” was a seminal moment of the original 1969 fest.

Legendary hopes to crack the rights issues that have prevented previous Hendrix projects from getting out of the gate. The company’s plan is to develop the project first, then try to win the cooperation of the estate.

There have been numerous attempts to develop a Hendrix film in recent years, with such musician-actors as Lenny Kravitz and Outkast’s Andre Benjamin floated as possible stars. But no one has locked down rights with Experience Hendrix, the gatekeeper to the musician’s estate, which is run by his stepsister, Janie Hendrix.

Legendary has been in loose discussions with the estate, but there is as yet no firm rights deal, which would be needed to access Hendrix’s singular sound and guitar wizardry.

I hope the biopic gets locked down.  I could easily see Chiwetel Ejiofor in this role!

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The iconic Lena Horne turned 92 on June 30th and Stormy Weather, the biography written by James Gavin, hit Amazon’s Top 100.  The book has received good reviews and even gotten praise from Oprah’s gal pal Gayle King.  Legendary colomunist Liz Smith, ranted on Variety.com: “There is, of course, word whizzing about for a movie. In late 2007, Oprah announced her plan to star Alicia Keys as Lena in a biopic. But we haven’t heard anything on that front since.”

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1917.  By 17 years-old she had a featured role in the Cotton Club Parade and would go on to join several other orchestras and bands. Lena received immense pressure from management and industry insiders (Black and White) to “pass” for White or Hispanic. Horne aggressively refused and when she finally came to Hollywood she refused to play a maid. Lena Horne was considered to play the lead role in 1951’s Showboat, but Ava Gardner was chosen because interracial relationships were banned in films. However, according to Wikipedia, “MGM executives required Gardner to practice her singing using recordings of Horne performing the songs, which offended both actresses.” Ain’t that something?

This is a biopic that we need and I can’t understand why no one is on it, considering biopics are usually successful and Oscar worthy.

First, Janet Jackson was set to play Lena Horne but allegedly was booted from the project after the infamous “wardrobe malfunction.”  The biopic was actually set to be a made for TV movie on ABC.

Then, as Smith mentioned, Alicia Keys was to play Horne but all talks of that have vanished.

I want to see the film made but I would love to see an actor tackle the role versus a singer.  Paula Patton, Jurnee Smollett, or even Nicole Ari Parker would be good choices.

Happy belated birthday to the great Lena Horne!

A biopic about Michael Jackson is a Hollywood must.  The potential film has A-list and Oscar written all over it.  The story of the pop icon is full of highs, lows, success, drama and a climatic ending.  Well, of course we need a cast and here is what I propose for the MJ story — I am sure the movie is already in the works and Steven Spielberg is trying to buy the rights!

Young Michael Jackson: Tristan Wilds
Tristan has made a name for himself in movies like The Secret Life of Bees and his role on 90210. Wilds could capture the essence of an ethnic Michael on the rise, battling insecurities and achieving incredible success.

Older Michael Jackson: Evan RossWho else? Ross can act and he has personal experience with the King of Pop. Plus, there is an uncanny resemblance to Michael post the Bad era. Fans could trust Ross to not sensationalize Michael’s memory, but still be authentic.

Lisa Marie Presley: Megan Fox

The current Hollywood “it” girl, Fox has the look and sass to play the rock ‘n roll princess, Lisa Marie Presley. Presley was Jackson’s ex-wife and often talked about how she wanted to save Michael.

Janet Jackson: Zoe Saldana
Saldana is an excellent actress; give her a script and she can make it work. I’d love to see her as another iconic figure, Janet Jackson, who has made a name for herself outside of her brother’s name.  She has the look, sex appeal and compassion to play the youngest Jackson.

La Toya Jackson: Mariah Carey
Carey has proven herself as a good actress with the upcoming Precious and she is even doing drag in her new video. I could easily see Carey as the controversial La Toya, who always wanted to be a star but fell short of the glory.

Katherine Jackson: Oprah Winfrey

You might’ve forgot this but Oprah is an Oscar nominee and she can act. If you don’t believe me add The Color Purple or Women of Brewster Place to your Nextflix ASAP. Winfrey could wrap herself in the compassion that makes up Mother Jackson — although the Grand O would have to tone down that slave accent. You know she loves to do that in all her films!

Jermaine Jackson: Jamie Foxx
Jamie would need to be in this movie in some capacity and I see him as Jermaine, who has always stepped up in controversy. He has been the family spokesman in the hardest times and has battled the media when they have torn his family to pieces.

Joe Jackson: Ving Rhames
Like many people, Michael had a complex relationship with his father. The King of Pop revealed there was child abuse, but he would later resolve his relationship with his father and often talked about how much he loved him.  Rhames would give a respectable performance as Joe Jackson.

Debbie Rowe: Rosie O’Donnell
Michael’s baby mama should be played by none other than Rosie O’Donnell.  Slap a wig on Ro and you got Debbie Rowe!

Who would you like to see in a movie about Michael Jackson?

16 years ago today the biopic on the legendary Tina Turner opened up in theatres nationwide, which was based on her autobiography I, Tina.

Everyone in Hollywood knew playing the role of Tina Turner would be award worthy and take their career to the next level.  By the early 1990’s Tina Turner was already a legend, respected in every musical circle across the world — one could only dream to play her life story. So, nearly every Black actress sought out the role: Jenifer Lewis, Robin Givens, Janet Jackson, Pam Grier, Halle Berry and Whitney Houston.  The role was offered to Whitney, who had huge box office success with The Bodyguard, but she turned down the part due to pregnancy.  Now, I like Whit, but there is no way she could’ve been Anna Mae…

Eventually, the role was given to Angela Bassett.  Laurence Fishburne turned the role of Ike Turner five times until he learned Bassett was the lead. Cinematic history was made.

Met with controversy and criticism, What’s Love Got to Do with It was a box office smash.  The movie grossed nearly 40 million domestically, won Angela Bassett a Golden Globe and received two Oscar nods.  In addition, the film helped to invirgourate Tina Turner’s career, which was already pretty hot.  What’s Love Got to Do with It is one of the greatest biopics made and considered a true classic.

According to Variety, Steven Spielberg has bought the life rights to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for the big screen:

A King film has been a longtime dream for Spielberg and DreamWorks CEO and co-chairman Stacey Snider, who has been working feverishly on acquiring the rights since exiting Paramount Pictures and setting up a solo enterprise.

King’s son Dexter, who is chairman and CEO of the King Estate, has been embroiled in a legal tussle with his siblings Bernice King and Martin Luther King III over who controls the personal papers of their late mother, Coretta Scott King, among other things.

This sounds amazing and Spielberg did wonders with The Color Purple, however, there was already a spectacular biopic of Dr. King in 1978 starring Paul Winfield and Cicely Tyson.  Titled King, it was a miniseries, which garnered eight Emmy nominations and won one. Maybe a big screen version will have a different take.

Still, I think there are many other great biopics to tell: Langston Hughes, Bessie Smith, Nat Turner and  Frederick Douglass (I can’t think of a biopic that showed slavery) just to name a few.

I’m all for diversity in films but Jamie Foxx to play legendary jazz singer Frank Sinatra is a bit of a stretch. A British paper is reporting:

Foxx, who won a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 film Ray, reportedly considered to be “perfect” for the role. If he is chosen for the part, it will be one of the most prominent examples of “colour-blind” casting in Hollywood history.

Also in the running are George Clooney, Leonardo di Caprio, Harry Connick Jnr and Justin Timberlake.
But an unnamed source told the Daily Express: “Cool is colour-blind.”

Well, it would be interesting to say the least.  But, if Foxx plays Sinatra I wonder if the racist jabs Ol’ Blue Eyes tossed at Sammy Davis, Jr. will be included in the script?  Whatever the case, this story sounds a bit farfetched and I have a feeling it’s a rumor.  Last I heard, Foxx was interested in playing Mike Tyson.

If this is true, I’m not sure how I feel about this. Then, you will have Meryl Streep wanting to play Harriet Tubman! Sean Penn taking on the role of Frederick Douglass! Talk about lack of roles for Black folks…

Be sure to tune in to the BET Awards on Sunday, June 28th where Foxx will be hosting!

Biopics are all the rage now — Angela Davis, Richard Pryor and even RUN DMC.  Well, there is good news for Isaiah Washington — just when you thought he was about to get evicted from his apartment for  owing back rent of $20,000 a month – he has landed the role of Lou Rawls.  Rawls is a legendary R&B singer who died in 2006.  According to the Hollywood Reporter:

Pathway Entertainment has acquired the script “Through the Eyes of a Son,” described as an uncensored take on the singer written by his son Lou Rawls Jr., and will develop it as a feature, with Isaiah Washington attached to play the famed crooner.

Born in Chicago in 1933, Rawls sang in a range of styles that included blues, soul, funk and R&B, selling millions of albums and earning legions of fans, as well as the accolades of Frank Sinatra. He also, according to the script, had a traumatic life, enduring a poverty-stricken childhood and, in adulthood, intense marital strife.

Sounds good. Let’s just hope Isaiah will downgrade to cheaper rent while he is studying for this role!

No word on a release date.

Phantom Punch is the story of Sonny Liston, an underrated boxer who was once the heavyweight champion of the world — before the reign of Muhammad Ali. It was Ali who snatched the title from Liston in a fight that goes down in sports history.

The story of the film is almost as interesting as the movie. Starring Ving Rhames and Stacey Dash, the movie finished production over a year ago and still has not found distribution. Nonetheless, the official trailer has hit the web. Unfortunately, there is no word on a release date on film or DVD.

The picture above is of Richard Pryor and Eddie Murphy on the cover of People in July 1983. Pryor was a mentor and inspiration to Eddie Murphy and now The Nutty Professor star is more than likely starring in a biopic of the late-great comedian’s life.

The creator of Dreamgirls and the incredibly boring 2009 Oscars, Bill Condon, wrote a script on the legendary comedian’s life titled Richard Pryor: Is It Something I Said? According to Entertainment Weekly, “He initially was hoping to secure $30 million to produce the film, but that number, sources say, has dropped down to $25 million. Murphy, who has featured Pryor impersonations in his act as far back as the 1987 concert movie Raw, seems a likely choice for this role.”

Richard Pryor is considered one of the funniest men to have ever lived. He is often credited for popularizing the word “nigga” and inspired generations of comics to be funny, but also added political commentary. However, Pryor also had a battle with addiction. In 1980 after freebasing cocaine, Pryor set himself on fire. There was a movie loosely based on Pryor’s life in 1986 called Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling, which was about a comedian who reflects on his life and burned himself after using drugs. Pryor insisted the film wasn’t autobiographical. Unfortunately, Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling was a box office disappointment.

Check out the hilarious video below of Murphy imitating Pryor and Bill Cosby.

Eddie Murphy – Bill Cosby And Richard Pryor – video powered by Metacafe

Biopic land is the main road to an Oscar.  Sean Penn won for Harvey Milk, Jaime Foxx won for Ray Charles, Forest Whittaker won for Idi Amin, and so on. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Taraji P. Henson was asked what would be her dream role: “My dream role would be to portray Diana Ross. I think it’s time to do her story. We’ve seen Dorothy Dandridge’s story; we’ve seen Tina Turner’s story. I’m ready to see Diana Ross. She’s such an icon.”

Actually, I could see Taraji P. Henson as Diana Ross, especially on the heels of an Oscar nod.  However, I think Beyonce Dearest and the creators of Dreamgirls ruined a biopic for Diana Ross — in many ways, the story has already been told. Deena Jones, the character Beyonce played in Dreamgirls receiving a Golden Globe nomination, was purely Diana Ross. In addition, the entire storyline was obviously based on Diana Ross, The Supremes and Motown.

Diana Ross famously told ABC News that she hadn’t seen Dreamgirls, but, “Maybe I should go see it with my lawyer.”

Unfortunately, Taraji might need to seek out some other biopics. I’d love to see films on Pearl Bailey, Diahann Carroll, Zora Neale Hurston, Audre Lorde and I hear Lena Horne’s biopic is still up for grabs. Oh – and who will be the one to bring Oprah’s life to the big screen?

There are so many stories to tell of great African-American women in history!