Pass The Popcorn: Dan Aykroyd x Jill Scott Sign On For James Brown Biopic
The long awaited James Brown biopic seems to have finally gotten on the good foot and may very well see the light of day. After years of speculation as to who will play the hardest working man in show business, we finally received confirmation over the summer that Chadwick Boseman (of 42 stardom) will be the man in the cape when the film finally hits the big screen. And to top off what is already a heaping serving of funkdom, last week it was announced that SNL crony and former ghostbuster Dan Aykroyd will play Ben Bart, the founder of the UAA agency which represented JB throughout the entirety of his career (as well as Joe Tex, setting the stage for the OG of rap-fueds, shotguns and all)
Aside from Aykroyd, Jill Scott signed on to play a role that was specifically written for her as one of The Godfather's many wives, though lets hope that it isn't Motown starlet Tammi Terrell, as it would be wholly a shame to see Miss Scott go out the way Tammi did. Aside from what is already a star-strutting cast, the production gains more weight with the knighted Sir Mick Jagger taking the reigns as a co-producer for the film and adding a much needed perspective from one of Brown's many contemporaries, especially one who admires the man so dearly and has time and time again professed his adoration for the funk god. A film that promises to be a gritty and accurate account of the industry's most prolific performer, will not be a mere cartoonish surface treatment of James' life, but will in fact chronicle the man's legacy from the brothels and fields of Augusta, Georgia to his transcendence into the dynamic and royal performer that he was. This writer's outrageously excited for what seems to be a proper film treatment of JB's life to make its way to the screen, as James Brown himself apparently worked on and contributed to the biopic prior to his death, making this film the last body of work he ever contributed to. No need for the cold sweat, we'll keep you posted on every development for this highly anticipated big screen treatment of The Godfather's legend. So check back with us soon and in the meantime all you funky junkies can get your fix with this exclusive playlist of JB's half-century of innovation.