‘What’s Going On’: Marvin Gaye Biopic Set At Warner Bros

The Marvin Gaye biopic is finally happening!

What’s Going On has been set at Warner Bros with Allen Hughes in the director’s chair and Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine, and Andrew Lazar as producers.

Marcus Gardley wrote the script for the biopic.

But, the best news is The Marvin Gaye estate and Motown are part of the deal so there will be rights to use all of Marvin’s timeless tunes in the film!

This biopic is a dream come true for Allen Hughes, who told Deadline: 

This is so personal for me. 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.

Warner Bros is reportedly putting up the biggest budget ever for an African American music biopic in the ballpark of $80 million. 

Production is slated to begin on the film next year with a mega-release slated for 2023 in theaters and HBO Max. 

The biggest task will be casting someone to play Marvin Gaye. 

Do you have anyone in mind?

Source: Deadline