Behind the source.

Warner Bros. has acquired Marvin Gaye biopic “What’s Going On,” Variety has confirmed.

“What’s Going On” has been in the works for a number of years. The news that Dr. Dre was working on a film about the late soul icon first broke in 2018. Dr. Dre will produce alongside Jimmy Iovine and Andrew Lazar, with Allen Hughes set to direct. After a number of tries to adapt Gaye’s story for the big screen, Warner Bros. has struck a deal that includes a script by poet-playwright Marcus Gardley and the rights to use all of Gaye’s signature songs, as his estate and Motown were part of the agreement.

Gaye’s life has long warranted its place among great music biopics. The legendary singer put out such hits as “What’s Going On,” “Sexual Healing” and “Let’s Get It On,” and was later fatally shot in 1984 at age 44 by his father. Over the last few decades, F. Gary Gray, Cameron Crowe, James Gandolfini, Scott Rudin, Jesse L. Martin and Lenny Kravitz have all failed to get the authorization from Gaye’s family to tell his story.

Instead of a traditional, linear biopic, “What’s Going On” will thread Gaye’s past with the events that shaped his final tour to result in a “musical odyssey” and “theatrical experience,” according to Deadline Hollywood, which first broke the news about Warners acquiring the biopic. It will chronicle his relationship with his father, address the demons that haunted him and celebrate the women who inspired his iconic love songs. Production is anticipated to start next year for a 2023 release.

I remember seeing a TV flick about Marvin and his father years ago... It wasn't very good and I don't remember the name of it. This one will hopefully do better than that sensationalized garbage...

PLEASE have Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) portray Marvin Gaye!!!! That is ALL!!!!

woogiebear said:

PLEASE have Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) portray Marvin Gaye!!!! That is ALL!!!!

He's years older than the age Marvin died at. Most of Marvin's career is in the 1960s & 1970s. I don't think they're gonna spend a bunch of money like Marvel Studios to de-age him.

MickyDolenz said:

woogiebear said:

PLEASE have Jesse L. Martin (Law & Order) portray Marvin Gaye!!!! That is ALL!!!!

He's years older than the age Marvin died at. Most of Marvin's career is in the 1960s & 1970s. I don't think they're gonna spend a bunch of money like Marvel Studios to de-age him.

Sh*t: Hollywood got Fishburne 2 play Ike Turner! Looked NOTHING like Him, but Hollywood SOLD IT!! Sweet Pea Atkinson (R.I.P. of Was Not Was) would have been a better fit. how much u wanna bet Hollywood goes 2 Donald Glover???

woogiebear said:

Sh*t: Hollywood got Fishburne 2 play Ike Turner! Looked NOTHING like Him, but Hollywood SOLD IT!! Sweet Pea Atkinson (R.I.P. of Was Not Was) would have been a better fit. how much u wanna bet Hollywood goes 2 Donald Glover???

Don't need a lookalike to play somebody. Do need someone around the same age as the person they're playing. Jesse is 50 something, he's not going to pass as 20. Are they going to cast a 70 year old actress to play Anna Gordy? It's easier & cheaper to age a young actor with makeup than to de-age a older one with CGI. This is not the kind of movie they're going to use CGI for anyway.

They need to find an unknown to portray Marvin Gaye. I was all amped up for Jessie L. Martin to play Marvin......until I saw him in the trailer for "Sexual Healing". ..(as a matter of fact, I saw it here years ago on the Org). Horrible trailer.

SPYZFAN1 said:

They need to find an unknown to portray Marvin Gaye. I was all amped up for Jessie L. Martin to play Marvin......until I saw him in the trailer for "Sexual Healing". ..(as a matter of fact, I saw it here years ago on the Org). Horrible trailer.

I wonder what happened to the Dionne Warwick movie. LeToya Luckett from Destiny's Child is playing her. It was announced about 3 or 4 years ago. I think Dionne herself picked LeToya.

MickyDolenz said:

woogiebear said:

Hollywood got Fishburne 2 play Ike Turner! Looked NOTHING like Him...

Don't need a lookalike to play somebody. Do need someone around the same age as the person they're playing.

Yeah, I never understood the fixation on the look of someone. I mean, no one looks like Whitney Houston, or Toni Braxton. Sure they should hint at a person's visage, but in general just get to the story.

One actor, maybe Tom Hanks, said you never try to impersonate someone. You find a couple of ticks or nuances about the person, and use that to feed on with the outward performance. Jamie Foxx had the voice and body movements. Did he look like Ray Charles? A little, but did it matter? No.

No one cared what Laurence Fishburne or Angela Bassett looked like in that regard. Angela had movements and wigs that let you forget who she was for a while. Same with Fishburne.

That one dude sure to fuck didn't look like Michael Jackson, and everyone wanted to watch that movie.

[Edited 6/21/21 22:46pm]

TrivialPursuit said:

MickyDolenz said:

Don't need a lookalike to play somebody. Do need someone around the same age as the person they're playing.

Yeah, I never understood the fixation on the look of someone. I mean, no one looks like Whitney Houston, or Toni Braxton. Sure they should hint at a person's visage, but in general just get to the story.

One actor, maybe Tom Hanks, said you never try to impersonate someone. You find a couple of ticks or nuances about the person, and use that to feed on with the outward performance. Jamie Foxx had the voice and body movements. Did he look like Ray Charles? A little, but did it matter? No.

No one cared what Laurence Fishburne or Angela Bassett looked like in that regard. Angela had movements and wigs that let you forget who she was for a while. Same with Fishburne.

That one dude sure to fuck didn't look like Michael Jackson, and everyone wanted to watch that movie.

[Edited 6/21/21 22:46pm]

Next UP: Terence Howard as Rick James. "I'm Rick James, Mayne!!" Oh, Hollyweird!!! I'm being sarcastic, Y'all!!!!

woogiebear said:

TrivialPursuit said:

Yeah, I never understood the fixation on the look of someone. I mean, no one looks like Whitney Houston, or Toni Braxton. Sure they should hint at a person's visage, but in general just get to the story.

One actor, maybe Tom Hanks, said you never try to impersonate someone. You find a couple of ticks or nuances about the person, and use that to feed on with the outward performance. Jamie Foxx had the voice and body movements. Did he look like Ray Charles? A little, but did it matter? No.

No one cared what Laurence Fishburne or Angela Bassett looked like in that regard. Angela had movements and wigs that let you forget who she was for a while. Same with Fishburne.

That one dude sure to fuck didn't look like Michael Jackson, and everyone wanted to watch that movie.

[Edited 6/21/21 22:46pm]

Next UP: Terence Howard as Rick James. "I'm Rick James, Mayne!!" Oh, Hollyweird!!! I'm being sarcastic, Y'all!!!!

woogiebear said:

Next UP: Terence Howard as Rick James. "I'm Rick James, Mayne!!" Oh, Hollyweird!!! I'm being sarcastic, Y'all!!!!

He was already Jackie Jackson

Chile, I don't know if I'm ready, I could barely make it through Jan's memoir. Marvin was a mess, and I'm stubbornly trying to hold on to my highly fictionalized, euphemistic portayal of him in my mind as soul stirring love baladeer knowing full well he was a broken individiual.