*The Marvin Gaye biopic is on a roll now.
But Jesse L. Martin has replaced Lenny Kravitz, probably a more suitable match.
RELATED: Marvin Gaye Story Hits the Stage … In Spite of Ish/Drama from ‘The Other Side’ (Part I)
He’ll play the starring role in the Julien Temple produced, “Sexual Healing.”
According to Deadline, the film focuses on the time Gaye spent in Europe in the early 1980s, when the soul singer attempted to get his addictions under control and career back on track with the help of British music promoter Freddy Cousaert (Gleason). Gaye was shot by his father and died in Los Angeles on April 1, 1984.
Martin was Marvin in the James Gandolfini version of a movie with the same title five years ago.
The decision to replace Lenny was actually a legal move. Marvin Gaye III, the late singer’s son, threatened legal action against the filmmakers.
Yikes.
Noooooooow we talkin!!! Glad to see the person who cast LK woke or SOBERED up!!
God answers prayers, people. yes, yes, yes !!!!! Should’ve been him all along. Love you, Lenny. But, no.
thank goodness, they came to their senses. Lenny was a bad choice but, that bad to take legal action?
Given the fact that talent and charisma has been proven to not be directly passed on to immediate heirs, I don’t see why MGIII has any more claim to the likeness of Marvin Gaye than anyone else from an historical or artistic perspective. It’s a unique perspective, but certainly not the most important. Personally, I’m glad to see Brother Campbell get some shine, but I’m wondering if this was a cop-out. I would have much rather seen the recasting of Nina Simone.
hhcassius,
To my understanding, a famous person’s family can have control of a deceased famous relative’s likeness as long as it is petitioned and filed legally. So if Marvin 3, Jan, and her children filed to have control over Marvin’s likeness, they can call the shots as to who has the right to use Marvin’s likeness. In this instance, they could’ve told the producer that they would not allow Marvin’s likeness to used unless they got someone else for the project. This is just pure hypothesis and I could be wrong but I do know that famous person’s likeness can be controlled by the estate’s family or by someone who buys control to the person’s likeness. I’m sure some legal eagles here could be more precise. Frnakly, Martin is a better choice than Kravitz.
And yes, I wish the Nina Simone pic would be recasted. But Nina’s daughter may not have control over her mother’s likeness.
I’m glad the family threatened legal action to have Kravitz removed rather than cast someone clearly unsuitable for the role. I’d hate to see another situation like what happened to Nina Simone.