JUNE is Black Music Month

The month of June is a pretty good month I must say, Summer begins, Father's Day, we have made it half way through the year and a favorite of mine it's "Black Music Month"

So in celebration I got a new trailer that has premiered and then 7 (lucky number) potential musical biopic films that may or may not come into fruition.

According to Reuters, there are a few "potential" music biopics in the works...

James Brown: Now this project has been in the works since before his death in 2006 with a script that has already been rewritten. Within a few days of Brown's death, director Spike Lee was already on board. And guess who he had for the lead...Wesley Snipes, welp looks like that project will be delayed.

Sam Cooke: Producer Jody Klein, whose company ABKCO owns the soul singer's recordings and publishing, commissioned the team of Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais ("Across the Universe," "The Commitments") to pen a script. Klein has been taking the finished script to directors for a few months. ABKCO intends to finance the film. Many have already said this could be an Oscar contender. And also in the rumor mill its been said either actor Anthony Mackie or singer Ray Lavender (who said he got the role via Twitter) will play Cooke. Hmmm interesting...

Aretha Franklin: The latest news with this project is that Franklin has secured "financial and creative control", but still no details have been given. On various shows Franklin has expressed that she would like Oscar winner Halle Berry (who declined due to not being able to sing) and Broadway actress Patina Miller to play the lead role. This might be one that turns into a TV movie versus hitting the big screen.

Marvin Gaye: Here is a biopic that may not be a top dollar winner, they way that it should be. As reported by Screen Daily this past February British doc filmmaker Julien Temple (Joe Strummer: The Future Is Unwritten) would tackle the story of Gaye recording his final album, "Midnight Love," in Brussels, as well as his friendship with the Belgian promoter Freddy Cousaert.This sounds more like a film festival flick and not so much a big Hollywood screen movie.

Bob Marley: Director Jenny Ash is developing a film based on Marley's year in London, 1977, theoretically circumventing the need for Marley recordings. Greenacre Films is producing. However without the blessings from the Marley estate, its going to be extremely difficult to get a distributor to jump on board. No music...no film simple as that.

Tupac Shakur: This is film is pretty much close to be a definite film in the works with Antoine Fuqua directing through Morgan Creek production and 2Pac's mother, Afeni Shakur-Davis, serving as executive producer.I can see a lot of potential with this potential film especially if they take an interest in his early life. Now if they can just get a lead it will be all good.

Nina Simone: Now this is a biopic I am anxious to see. And at least with this one the lead role has been set and finalized, Mary J. Blige is on board to play the prolific Nina Simone. Written by Cynthia Mort, the movie has actually been put off for years just last year, it was sold, financed, and will begin shooting in the fall.“I’m definitely still doing it and I’m in acting classes for it now. We start shooting at the end of the month!” the Blige told BET.com.

Next is the feature trailer of Jaime Foxx presents Thunder Soul. "It was the 70's and Conrad 'Prof' Johnson turned an inner-city Houston high school band into a legendary funk powerhouse. 35 years later, his students prepare to pay tribute to the man who changed their lives." 

Check out the trailer here...


Thundersoul hits theaters September 23, 2011.