Considering the music-biopic boom of the last decade, it was really only a matter of time before Bob Marley got his big-screen portrayal.
Already with a documentary and a stage musical to his likeness and legacy, a film was surely only close behind, and now we've had our first look at Bob Marley: One Love, which is set to be released early next year. The film is the first big adaptation for the iconic reggae star and you can breathe a big sigh of relief because, yes, they got the rights to all of his songs! This won't be a David Bowie or Jimi Hendrix situation. No, we'll be jamming, quite literally.
With a first trailer released, here's everything we know about Bob Marley: One Love.
Who is starring in Bob Marley: One Love?
It's fair to say absolutely no one is having as good a year as Kingsley Ben-Adir. He's currently shapeshifting in Marvel's Secret Invasion as a Skrull on a mission, he'll soon be seen in Greta Gerwig's Barbie as just another Ken and now he's taking on the role as one of the most famous musicians in history - Bob Marley.
Ben-Adir was cast as the Jamaican singer last year in the film which is also being made with Marley's family, son Ziggy Marley, wife Rita Marley and daughter Cedella Marley, as producers. “It was exciting and emotional,” Ziggy told Entertainment Weekly about filming the biopic. “I was very focused on making sure that we represented him right, and being given that responsibility to help Reinaldo was a very serious thing for me. We explored different elements of Bob that people don’t know, different emotions that he went through. I actually learned some stuff, too. As someone who was there in this time period, it brings back a lot of memories and things that were hidden inside of me before. It was a very emotional journey.”
Speaking of Rita, she'll be played by Lashana Lynch, who also isn't doing too badly on the whole ‘having a great year thing’. She's already dusted off her vocal cords in the Matilda the Musical adaptation and is going to be reappearing as Maria in Marvel's The Marvels. Elsewhere in the cast, Happy Valley star and former OG hot priest James Norton will be starring as Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records.
The film is being helmed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, who most recently directed Will Smith to Oscar glory in the film King Richard.
What is Bob Marley: One Love about?
Well, Bob Marley, of course, and his rise to the echelons of music history before his life was tragically cut short at the age of just 36.
The film will chronicle the singer's ascent to fame, but will mostly revolve around the 1976 assassination attempt, which almost claimed his life, and the now infamous “One Love” peace concert he performed back in Jamaica’s capital of Kingston in response.
Is there a trailer for Bob Marley: One Love?
The first official look and trailer for Bob Marley: One Love was released this week, meaning we haven't been edged by promo material unlike Ben-Adir's other film this year (cough Barbie cough).
The trailer gives a whistlestop tour of the come-up of Bob Marley and the Wailers, from their humble beginnings in Jamaica to their meteoric rise to superstardom. Of course, like any good musical biopic, it's all about the heart behind the music, and if there's one thing Marley didn't lack, it was heart. We see his family, headed up by Lashana Lynch as wife Rita, as well as the civil unrest in Jamaica that leads to an almost definitely politically motivated attack on his life. Honestly, it's kind of crazy we haven't had a biopic sooner! Here's the full trailer.
When is Bob Marley: One Love out?
Unfortunately, we still have a while to wait before we get our eyes on the biopic, with it set to be released in cinemas on 12 January 2024. Still, what's better to look forward to in the cold and frigid months of winter than some of the most summery reggae that's ever been made?
