Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine On Board to Produce Marvin Gaye Biopic ‘What’s Going On?’ That Was Picked Up By Warner Bros.
Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine On Board to Produce Marvin Gaye Biopic ‘What’s Going On?’ That Was Picked Up By Warner Bros.
The “Beats By Dre” duo of Andre Young, also known as Dr. Dre, and former Interscope Records honcho Jimmy Iovine is particularly busy these days. Earlier this week, it was reported that the Los Angeles Unified School District is collaborating with music producer and entrepreneur Iovine and artist, producer, and entrepreneur “Dr. Dre” to launch a new high school in South L.A. focused on developing young leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs.
According to Deadline, Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to Marvin Gaye’s biopic “What’s Going On.” The project is being produced by Dr. Dre, Iovine, and Andrew Lazar. The film will be directed by “Menace II Society” director, Allen Hughes, with the script done by poet-playwright Marcus Gardley. The estate of Marvin Gaye is directly involved and the Motown label is on board so there will be no issues when it comes to the rights of music and material.
“This is so personal for me,” Hughes told Deadline. “When I made my first film with my brother, we were fortunate to get “What’s Going On” into the trailer for Menace 2 Society, and it was a game-changer in elevating the marketing of that film. Every film of mine but the period film From Hell had some Marvin Gaye in it, and I’ve just always connected to him. He’s the artist’s artist, with this ethereal voice that just comes out of the heavens. There have been plenty of great artists, and then Marvin, in his own lane. When you listen, in one measure you feel like you’ve read a novel. Such a rich inner life in that voice, heavenly but riddled with pain, the agony and ecstasy at the same time. When he gained his independence in the ’70s, with that album What’s Going On, then Trouble Man and Let’s Get It On, I Want You and his final masterpiece Here, My Dear, when it comes to vocal orchestrations and the way he layered his voice, he’s Mozart. You’ve heard of all these big-name directors that have tried for 35 years to consolidate these rights. This started with Dre, saying, ‘Let’s do this together,’ and then Jimmy came on, and Andrew Lazar, and we worked with the estate, with Motown and some other things that needed to be tied down, and we got it done.”
The film will have the biggest budget for a Black music biopic, which is rumored to be more than $80 million.
Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine On Board to Produce Marvin Gaye Biopic ‘What’s Going On?’ That Was Picked Up By Warner Bros.
