Warner Bros has landed a new biopic, “What’s Going On,” a film about the life of iconic soul singer Marvin Gaye directed by Allen Hughes and produced by Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine, and Andrew Lazar.
According to Deadline, the movie studio acquired a script by poet-playwright Marcus Gardley, who wrote the musical version of The Color Purple, and the estate of Marvin Gaye and Motown are part of the deal, so fans can expect to hear all the signature songs of his career in the film.
This new biopic will finally bring Marvin Gaye’s life and career to the big screen. There have been many previous attempts to get Gaye’s story told by different filmmakers, but each time, the projects stalled or fell short of the rights needed to tell his story in its full scope.
Deadline also reports that the studio will put up the biggest budget ever for an African American music biopic, somewhere north of $80 million.
The film, which is expected to be released in 2023, is fully backed by Marvin Gaye’s estate, Motown, and the singer’s widow Jan Gaye, an executive producer, and Suzanne de Passe.
