Good change!!! Jesse was cast as Marvin before a few years ago...

I see this has come back around, full circle.... Since it started with Jesse in the first place...

[Edited 3/4/13 18:03pm]

This film has had a strange seven-year odyssey...

Jesse was tagged to play Marvin back in 2006 with this film. Then no word in 2007. Around 2008 (I believe), James Gandolfini was picked to executive produce the film and play Freddy Couseart. Then 2009, 2010, 2011, through 2012, silence. Then we hear the film "died" or stalled until Julien Temple announced he would direct it and then Lenny got picked, now it seems they got Jesse to do it again.

What a mess.

Also a halt was put to the movie when Jesse first had it. When Motown or Marvin's estate wouldn't approve of Marvin's music being used. Which is when they decided to cover his life after motown until his untimely murder...

In all honesty, he's a better choice for Marvin over Lenny. If you want to be nit picky, his complexion matches, his face looks as close as humanly possible and he is more advanced as an actor than Lenny, Julian Temple is a credible director so there may be a good film here. I doubt any music will be used since whoever owns Motown's publishing will be strict with clearing the rights, we shall soon see what comes of it.

I just don't understand how a movie can be made about Marvin without using his music. Seems like a waste of film to me...I guess they can use "Sexual Healing" since he recorded that with Columbia Records & won two Grammy's with.. a label Prince was briefly signed to a distribution deal....

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

I just don't understand how a movie can be made about Marvin without using his music. Seems like a waste of film to me...I guess they can use "Sexual Healing" since he recorded that with Columbia Records & won two Grammy's with.. a label Prince was briefly signed to a distribution deal....

You simply CANNOT make a film about Marvin without including his music. Marvin WAS his music... So, this is a MAJOR FAIL from the inception...

Sony Music only allowed use of Marvin's CBS material for the film.

Which already spelled doom for the movie when it was first announced in 2006...

The saga continues.

Watch as no film comes out by 2014.

SoulAlive said:

There is hope for this project after all the idea of Lenny playing Marvin was absurd

Jesse was my pick all along. Congrats to him.

It should have been Jesse all along.

Jesse L. Martin Replaces Lenny Kravitz in Marvin Gaye Biopic

my partner looks more like marvin gaye than that dude

scorp84 said:

Sorry, but the rights to the man's music should have been priority #1. Without it, any project is doomed from the jump.

I agree,and what I don't understand is....why is so hard for the filmakers to get the rights to use Marvin's music? Is it Marvin's estate who is refusing to cooperate,and why?? Why wouldn't they want his story to be told with the original music? They would get paid.Or is it Motown who is refusing to cooperate?

A silmiliar situation is happening with the upcoming Jimi Hendrix film starring Andre3000.I don't know how good these films are gonna be without the original music by these artists

SoulAlive said:

scorp84 said:

Sorry, but the rights to the man's music should have been priority #1. Without it, any project is doomed from the jump.

I agree,and what I don't understand is....why is so hard for the filmakers to get the rights to use Marvin's music? Is it Marvin's estate who is refusing to cooperate,and why?? Why wouldn't they want his story to be told with the original music? They would get paid.Or is it Motown who is refusing to cooperate?

A silmiliar situation is happening with the upcoming Jimi Hendrix film starring Andre3000.I don't know how good these films are gonna be without the original music by these artists

From what i read, it was Berry who was responsible for putting the breaks their using his music, when he was an artist at Motown, (this goes back to when Jesse was involved, the first time.) This is why they had to consentrate on his life, after Motown. Before Berry said no, they were going to do the Motown years, onward.

Don't understand why the estates of Icon artist (especially black) won't clear the muziq to be used. Wouldn't that mean more money to the publishing company & the beneficiaries? I've noticed MJ's muziq not being used that much either. Mj's Beatles catalog is cleared more than his own muziq.... Never hear Luther, rarely James Brown.

Timmy84 said:

This film has had a strange seven-year odyssey...

Jesse was tagged to play Marvin back in 2006 with this film. Then no word in 2007. Around 2008 (I believe), James Gandolfini was picked to executive produce the film and play Freddy Couseart. Then 2009, 2010, 2011, through 2012, silence. Then we hear the film "died" or stalled until Julien Temple announced he would direct it and then Lenny got picked, now it seems they got Jesse to do it again.

What a mess.

IKR? If they keep fooling around, I'm not going to even want to see anymore.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Don't understand why the estates of Icon artist (especially black) won't clear the muziq to be used. Wouldn't that mean more money to the publishing company & the beneficiaries? I've noticed MJ's muziq not being used that much either. Mj's Beatles catalog is cleared more than his own muziq.... Never hear Luther, rarely James Brown.

I'm actually amazed that two good movies were made about Elvis and the early Beatles: Elvis (1979) starring Kurt Russell and Birth of the Beatles (1979). Both of these movies used good scripts, acting, and the music to good effect IMO. Maybe because they were both produced by Dick Clark... A movie about Marvin should have similar qualities...

[Edited 3/6/13 22:42pm]

i think what at issue here is the script. fuck the music. what kind of a movie is this and will it make marvin lok good or bad.

jackson35 said:

i think what at issue here is the script. fuck the music. what kind of a movie is this and will it make marvin lok good or bad.

No way can you say fuck the music... Without it, you can't really tell Marvin's story...

purplethunder3121 said:

jackson35 said:

i think what at issue here is the script. fuck the music. what kind of a movie is this and will it make marvin lok good or bad.

No way can you say fuck the music... Without it, you can't really tell Marvin's story...

EXACTLY!!!!

[img:$uid]http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e70/SexyBeautifulOne/SlowClap2.gif[/img:$uid]

Marvin's story...is the MUSIC! The MUSIC...is Marvin's story!

purplethunder3121 said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Don't understand why the estates of Icon artist (especially black) won't clear the muziq to be used. Wouldn't that mean more money to the publishing company & the beneficiaries? I've noticed MJ's muziq not being used that much either. Mj's Beatles catalog is cleared more than his own muziq.... Never hear Luther, rarely James Brown.

I'm actually amazed that two good movies were made about Elvis and the early Beatles: Elvis (1979) starring Kurt Russell and Birth of the Beatles (1979). Both of these movies used good scripts, acting, and the music to good effect IMO. Maybe because they were both produced by Dick Clark... A movie about Marvin should have similar qualities...

[Edited 3/6/13 22:42pm]

The "Little Richard Story", the story about the "Queen" of Rock & Roll starring Leon(Which I worked in) used his muziq. I wonder did MJ clear it or Little Richard himself? Since I heard MJ gave him his publishing rights back...

UncleGrandpa said:

In all honesty, he's a better choice for Marvin over Lenny. If you want to be nit picky, his complexion matches, his face looks as close as humanly possible and he is more advanced as an actor than Lenny, Julian Temple is a credible director so there may be a good film here. I doubt any music will be used since whoever owns Motown's publishing will be strict with clearing the rights, we shall soon see what comes of it.

agree

Janis Hunter wants to stop film, stage play from moving forward.

By Evelyn Diaz

Thirty years after Marvin Gaye's death, the race to complete his biopic seems hotter than ever. No fewer than three actors — Lenny Kravitz, Jesse L. Martin and Terrence Howard — have been attached to play the R&B icon, with shooting on one biopic scheduled to begin at the end of the month.

Unless Janis Hunter has her way.

Gaye's ex-wife, who was married to the singer from 1977-1981 and is the mother of his two children, is doing her best to stop the plans for both the film and a stage play set for an Off-Broadway debut on April 11.

"I don't think Marvin is a very happy spirit right now," Hunter tells the New York Daily News. "This is the last thing he would have wanted to happen."

Kravitz bowed out of the biopic, to be directed by British helmer Julien Temple, earlier this month, and was replaced by Jesse L. Martin. "Ultimately, I think it was Lenny’s heart and soul and conscience that caused him to step away," says Hunter of the rocker's decision to leave the project. "Hopefully, that touches Jesse in the same way."

As for the play, based on Gaye's sister Zeola Gaye's biography of her famous brother, the show is still scheduled to go on. "I haven't read the script, but [the book] was very difficult to read," says Hunter of Zeola's memoir. "Some of the characterizations, like saying Marvin’s father killing him was a ‘mercy killing,’ you can only imagine how that makes the kids feel," she says, referring to her and Marvin’s two adult children, both in their thirties. "It makes me feel bad enough."

Hunter admits Gaye's later years were dark, and that she has no desire to relive them. "It wasn’t always the greatest, but it was tough times for him and for everyone," she says.

Terrence Howard revealed last month that he too was slated to play Gaye in a pair of projects, but didn't specify which ones. No word on if Hunter's disapproval managed to squash any of these projects.

I think Janice has a point. I remember there was a lot of drama coming out the house where Marvin was murdered...it wasn't a pretty way he was living in his last days. I always said I believe Marvin would have eventually overdosed or done the unthinkable. Its kinda like the demons D'angelo has. But thank God he made it through his dark years..