“What’s Goin’ On?”, you ask? Well, not much if you’re waiting for a movie for film based on legendary soul singer Marvin Gaye. Remember that movie Jesse L. Martin (The Flash) was developing a few years ago and even released footage from? Nothing. Jamie Foxx has been working on a TV series on the singer but we haven’t heard anything on that since 2016. Fortunately, Dr. Dre is here to pick up the slack, as the uber-producer has his own biopic on Marvin Gaye in the works.
Variety reports Dr. Dre is “in the early stages” of development on a Marvin Gaye biopic. Details on the film are probably still a ways off but what we do know is that the Gaye estate has already okayed the use of his music. That’s really the first major hurdle that needs to be overcome for a movie like this, and if you can’t get those rights you end up with a stinker like Jimi: All Is By My Side which had all the wrong music.
Gaye’s story is certainly made for the big screen. He helped define the Motown sound in the late ’60s with his album In the Groove which produced his first No.1 hit “I Heard It Through the Grapevine”. He went on to release hit albums What’s Going On, Let’s Get It On, and Midnight Love. In 1984 he was fatally shot by his own father while trying to break up an argument between his parents.
No truth to the rumor Dre is considering Eminem for the lead role, although that would be something.
