Director Reinaldo Marcus Green confirmed he’s helming a Bob Marley biopic and revealed new details about the project during an exclusive interview for King Richard with Collider's Steven Weintraub. Green said that the biopic is not only real but that he’s already looking for the right angle to deal with the life of the iconic reggae singer and political activist.
One of the pioneers of reggae, Marley enchanted the world with his musical talents and helped to spread Jamaican culture. Marley was also known for his outspoken support for democratic social reforms, often using his music to spread his political ideals. The founder of one of the most influential musical groups of all time, Bob Marley and the Wailers, surprisingly lacks a big-budget biopic, which means the upcoming Paramount production is more than deserving.
When asked about the development of the Bob Marley biopic, Green said that he’s currently working on a script together with Zach Baylin (King Richard), and that Ziggy Marley, Bob Marley’s older son, is producing and overlooking the project. In Green words:
“Ziggy Marley is, right, my point of contact for the film, and producer on the project. So we're full steam ahead. I've brought on Zach Baylin to help me write it, which is great bringing our team back together. Hopefully, we'll have a script very soon. I'm really excited about that one.”
Even without a script, Green already has a clear idea about exploring the singer’s prolific career. “Our film starts in '76 and really it's about the making of 'Exodus,'” Green says, referring to the ninth studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers. “Exodus” was recorded by the band after Bob Marley survived an assassination attempt, left Jamaica, and was exiled to London. That would indeed be the perfect window to look at Bob Marley’s life, in a period where the artist is forced to reflect upon his roots and the international reach of his love message to humanity.
We also asked Green who would be the perfect actor to play Bob Marley in theaters, and if one of the singer’s family members could take the role. The director said the biopic still doesn’t have a cast, but he’s open to whoever fits the part best. As Green puts it:
“Look, it's open season right now. Anything's possible. We don't have any cast, so yeah, absolutely. I'm open to finding, discovering someone completely brand new, could be a family member. I'm open to anything at this point. The best actor for the role.”
Since music is a major part of Marley’s legacy, a great biopic couldn’t exist without some of his iconic songs. When asked if he had the music rights for the biopic, Green said that “we do have rights to the music, some music, for sure. And some good music." Since the Bob Marley biopic is still in pre-production, since it might take a while till we get more news on the film. But, at least we know it will sound good.