Lenny Kravitz Set To Portray Marvin Gaye
After Spielberg’s ‘Lincoln’ got such raving reviews, it seems as though biopics may be returning to the Hollywood spotlight. Just recently announced: Lenny Kravitz will be starring as Motown master Marvin Gaye in Julien Temple’s planned film about said legend. Temple has previously worked on other movies centered on music legends such as David Bowie. According to reports, Kravitz is set to play Gaye in the latter stages of both his career and his life, and will span the length of time when Marvin Gaye lived in London. By movie’s end, it’s said, Gaye will be battling his addictions and trying to get his stalled career back on track with the help of British music promoter Freddy Cousaert (who as yet to be cast).
But why choose Kravitz, of all people, to play Gaye? I think it’s fairly obvious, really. Both Marvin Gaye and Lenny Kravitz are extremely talented musicians, and if there’s any person suited well enough for the role – it’s Kravitz. Other possibles? Idris Elba, who happens to share a beard similar to that of Gaye’s, would have been almost as good a choice…though Kravitz has him beat as far as vocal performance goes.
Julien Temple – who has a long and extensive history with directing music videos for bands and artists like The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and Whitney Houston – also seems to be a good fit to helm the film’s directorial position. The man has invaluable experience with musicians worldwide, and where his big film experience may lack, he certainly makes up for it with musical history.
All around, the yet-to-be-titled biopic is set to start filming next summer and will inevitably be a fairly large film. Maybe not as large as ‘Lincoln’, but definitely a hit amongst the more musically inclined and fans of Gaye and Kravitz alike.
