During a panel discussion at the 2021 Tribeca Festival, John Legend revealed that his production business Get Lifted collaborated with Bernie Mac estate and Legend’s producing partner Mike Jackson to develop a biopic on the late comedian.
“We just partnered with Bernie Mac’s estate to cover Bernie Mac’s story,” Jackson said, seemingly surprising Legend as he said the info was “something that John doesn’t know about yet” and that he was “very excited about” the deal, which “just happened today.”
Legend said in response, “Look at you breaking news over here.”
The two confirmed that the project would be a feature film biography.
Although Jackson did say that the project is a “full circle” moment, more information was not revealed because Legend was in one of Mac’s final films.
Legend said that this is “The Soul Men reunion you all wanted to see.” In the 2008 film, he played Marcus Hooks, a band member who is honored in a reunion concert following his death by Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson) and Floyd Henderson (Mac).
Jackson said, “It’s about the opportunities to tell a story that you feel are important.”
Following the announcement, Legend and Jackson took time to reflect on Mac’s life and legacy, who died in 2008. Legend said of The Bernie Mac Show: “It was beautifully done…. His humor was always edgy, but it always had so much heart to it at the same time. You could tell he was a family man. You could tell that he loved the people he was talking about.”
