The 15 Most Anticipated Black Biopics We Want To See - Page 12

With director Tate Taylor getting the green light for his James Brown biopic, we take a look at some other big-screen life stories that are a must-see.

Biopics have always been around in the cinematic world, yet recently they’ve spiked in frequency. From Steven Spielberg‘s Oscar winning Lincoln to the #1 box office flick Lee Daniels’ The Butler, biographical pictures are a lock in Hollywood.

Audiences and filmmakers alike share a fascination with recreating the lives of famous individuals of the past, the present, and even the future. Whether they’re villains (see: The Last King Of Scotland), admired (Idris Elba in Long Walk to Freedom) or just talented pure souls (All Is By My Side), it is our shared curiosity that drives us to support these films in the theaters and on Netflix.

In honor of the expedient progress made by Tate Taylor’s Get On Up, which finds actor Chadwick Boseman donning James Brown’s cape in the lead role, we’ve put together this list of the 15 Most Anticipated Black Biopics We Want To See. Enjoy!

Photo: Yahoo! Movies

Photo: Flickr

Peggielene Bartels

Rumored to have newly-minted daytime TV talk show host Queen Latifah attached to star, this biopic would tell the tale of Peggielene Bartels. Living in a modest one-bedroom condo just outside of Washington, D.C., the then 55-year-old Ghanaian American learned in 2008 that she became the royal monarch of a small fishing village in Tantum, in the Mfantsiman Municipal District of Ghana, West Africa. No word on progress has been made, but any chance to see an African ruler on the big screen can be appreciated!

Photo: Twitter

Lorraine Hansberry

Taye Hansberry, the grand-niece of the legendary American playwright and writer is working on a biopic about the Raisin in the Sunauthor. Current content creator darling, Issa Rae, is slated to play Nina Simone in the unconventional biopic. The still-developing film, which has yet to receive an official title, will be directed by Numa Perrier (RoomieLoverFriends), feature Taye in the lead role with Jaleel White as James Baldwin. There will be plenty of racial segregation to go around in this picture.

Photo: Flickr

Oscar Mischeaux

Writer-director JD Walker‘s planned biopic on the criminally slept on African American filmmaker has been sent out to potential cast to read. No official word on plot or proposed time frame, but actor Isaiah Washington wants to play the Michaeux, who was the first African American to produce a feature-length film (in 1920). The production team has yet to begin casting, nor have they made any official decision yet.

Photo: Instagram

Pelé

Director-producer duo Ron Howard and Brian Grazer have already kicked RUSH, a biopic project about Formula One drivers, and starring Chris Hemsworth. The tandem are also developing a project based on the life of world-renowned soccer legend Pelé. Jeff and Michael Zimbalist have been hired to write (and possibly direct) the film, which has yet to cast the greatest player to rule the world’s most beautiful game. The goal for the film is to release it prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Photo: Flickr

TLC

The upcoming biopic, which just released its second trailer, finds Keke Palmer, Drew Sidora and Lil’ Mama playing the award-winning music trio. Directed by Charles Stone III (Mr. 3000, Paid in Full), the VH1-powered flick chronicles the life of “Chilli,” “T-Boz,” and “Left Eye” and promises to be one to watch. CrazySexyLove: The TLC Storymakes its debut this November.

Photo: Instagram

Marvin Gaye

Of the many multiple projects that have been listed, the only one that has made any progress will star Jesse L. Martin in the title role. Directed by Julien Temple, the film takes a sobering look at the last years of the Motown legend’s life, and his relationship with promoter Freddy Cousaert. Most recently, Sexual Healingwas shopped at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, where backing company Focus Features International reported pulled out of the production. Since then, the film has been put on hiatus, despite 70% of the shoot already in the can and with three weeks left to go with filming.

Photo: Instagram

James Brown

A project that we’ve been keeping our eyes on for a minute now, has just received the go-ahead from Hollywood. We reported that actor Chadwick Boseman (42) has been chosen to star in the biopic as the late, great “Godfather of Soul”. After the announcement, director Tate Taylor was rumored to be eying Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer (who he worked with on The Help) to join the soulful production. The project, entitled Get On Up, is slated to begin production in the fall.

Photo: Instagram

Richard Pryor

Forest Whitaker took over this project from comedian-actor Chris Rock that has had a revolving door of stars attached. Mike Epps was originally slated to play the embattled legendary funnyman, but now A Haunted Housestar Marlon Wayans is rumored to star. As of writing this, there has been no updates as to who will finally play the charismatic comic, or what plans Forest Whitaker has for the project.

Photo: Instagram

Nina Simone

With Zoe Saldana causing controversy as the legendary singer, many are wondering how this biopic will actually turn out. Director Cynthia Mort won’t be deterred by the outrage that was generated by leaked photos of her lead star, but there’s no word on if the film will premiere anywhere. It may look like the project will not get any buzz until next year.

Photo: Instagram

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Paul Greengrass‘ Memphishas actor Forest Whitaker in talks to star in, while Lee Daniels‘ (The Butler) replaced Ava DuVernay on Selma. There are at least five projects that have been in-production for the last few years. Wesley Snipes has one in the works which explores J. Edgar Hoover‘s campaign to discredit The Great Liberator. Oprah Winfrey is equally working on an HBO miniseries with Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks. At the moment, the only films that are making some leeway are Selma with David Oyelowo and Memphis.

Photo: Instagram

Ol’ Dirty Bastard

Admitting to HipHopDX back in October 2012, the RZA mentioned that there are two projects telling the tale of Big Baby Jesus. “There’s Dirty White Boy, which is about the manager of ODB, and his last two years. And there’s another one with a working title called, Dirt: One Word Could Change The World,” the producer said. Although he is involved with both, actor Michael K. Williams is slated to play the Brooklyn Zoo member in the film which is not specifically about ODB.

Photo: Instagram

Whitney Houston

Her untimely passing has placed her amongst stars Michael Jackson, Jimi Hendrix and Mahalia Jackson as biopics movie fans would like to see. With talk (and rumors) about a biopic on her life, IMDB has short listed potential names from Vivica Fox to Brandy Norwood to Rihanna as potential lead actresses for the picture. According to Clive Davis, who signed her and knows quite a bit about projects pertaining to the late Houston, there’s no plan to bring a Whitney Houston biopic to the big screen. Doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t want to see it, though!

Photo: Instagram

Miles Davis

Actor Don Cheadle has been working his heart out trying to get his project financed. The picture would focus on the off-time that Miles took when he wasn’t recording anything, which sounds pretty compelling. Equally interesting, there’s a second film in the works, which finds George Tillman Jr. attached to direct. Loosely based on the book, Dark Magus: The Jekyll and Hyde Life of Miles Davis(by Gregory Davis), the film would be more in line with other films such as Ray with a harder edge. While mainstay hope is for Cheadle’s project to come out and show another side to the jazz legend, Tillman Jr.’s film may just be the one that studios end up supporting.

Photo: Instagram

Fela Kuti

The Broadway success of FELA!has translated into a want, no, better yet, a need to bring the AfroBeat master to the big screen. It has been three years since a project involving Chiwetel Ejiofor and Steve McQueen has been first proposed. Maybe they’re waiting until their first collaboration, the slave-era picture Twelve Years A Slave, is released and received by mass audiences this September.

What other biopic films would you like to see hit the big screen? Speak your piece below!