Don Cheadle to play Miles Davis in biopic

Director/actor Don Cheadle addresses the audience at the IM Global/UTA Reception for "Kill The Trumpet Player" on Nov. 7, 2013, in Santa Monica, Calif. / Amy Graves/Getty Images

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Don Cheadle will play Miles Davis in "Kill the Trumpet Player," a biopic the actor has long planned on the innovative jazz pioneer.

BiFrost Pictures told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it will finance and produce the film, with Cheadle also making his directorial debut. Cheadle has been trying to make the film for years. Production is finally set to begin in June.

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The production company said the movie will focus on when Davis temporarily retired from making music and then re-emerged in 1979. The script is written by Cheadle and Steven Baigelman.

Ewan McGregor will co-star as a Rolling Stone reporter, and Zoe Saldana will play Frances Davis, the trumpet player's former wife. Davis collaborator Herbie Hancock will be involved in the production.

Cheadle, 48, currently stars on Showtime's series "House of Lies." His other acting credits include "Iron Man 3," "Flight," "Ocean's Eleven" and "Hotel Rwanda."

Davis died in 1991 at age 65.

Finally!

I did a thread that included this project back in '08 when Chris Wilkinson was supposedly involved:
http://prince.org/msg/8/402941



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I think thats a good casting choice..

Cheadle is a great actor and looks very much like Miles. Could be great. Will be his first gig as director, hope it turns out as good as it should.

My problem is his head shape, lol. Miles' head was "rounder". You know who I always thought would make a good Miles looks-wise - only he's too tall? Lance Reddick from The Wire.

I kind of have mixed feelings about the project, though, always have. Miles' life was so eventful and multi-faceted that it's hard to imagine anything really doing it justice.

Already posted: http://prince.org/msg/100/402935

Oh boy!

I'm sure Don will rock this. I bet he gets the best actors to make cameos, since he has many friends in Hollywood.