Halle berry respectfully declines aretha franklin role

[glencro]

http://bossip.com/332173/halle-berry-declines-arethas-request-to-star-in-biopic-movie-73373/

This is the only article that I can find stating it. Seems to be a "messy" gossip column but I never could see Halle playing Aretha

[marv2]

She gone get beat up! LOL!!!

[luke]

The article I read said she would definitely consider it but couldnt sing it.

[topdiva1]

Halle would not make a good RERE try Queen Latifa who is a great actress and good singer.

[chidrummer]

Halle made a great call playing Dorothy Dandridge. I think she's quite right not to try Aretha. topdiva, that's a good call as well, Dana could do the role justice. Jill Scott might be another singer/actress who could get the job done well.

[topdiva1]

Halle made a great call playing Dorothy Dandridge. I think she's quite right not to try Aretha. topdiva, that's a good call as well, Dana could do the role justice. Jill Scott might be another singer/actress who could get the job done well.

Jill Scott is a sensational suggestion. Wow!!!!!!!!!!!

[marv2]

But Aretha wanted Halle. She could have done it just to make Aretha happy!

[topdiva1]

Halle likely really said HELL NO!!!

[marv2]

Halle likely really said HELL NO!!!

That's why she'll likely get beat up! LOL!!!!

[nysister]

Halle would not make a good RERE try Queen Latifa who is a great actress and good singer.

Topdiva1, I really want Latifah to play Pearl Bailey.

[arrr&bee]

I'm sitting here looking at an early seventies picture of the queen and i see,another queen[latifah]in that role!!

[glencro]

But Aretha wanted Halle. She could have done it just to make Aretha happy!

and if she fails at it, it's her career on the line...I think Halle did the right thing declining. Honestly, other than being too pretty for the role, I don't think she's a good enough actress to pull it off

[midnightman]

Safe to say I'm glad Halle said "no". Of course she has to give Aretha r-e-s-p-e-c-t. No way she would be disrespectful. If she had replied "hell naw I ain't playing that woman!" That would've deserve a smack but Halle does have some class. Like I said, this film won't be released. It'll be delayed for another year.

[ladyvanaye]

What I think is more interesting is 'how Aretha sees herself'. I heard her say this 'Halle' thing on Wendy Williams show the other day when she called in and I though, 'she cant be serious'. For vocal abilities and a few acting clues, the following in my opinion are the call for this bio-pic...[[since, no harm intended , Aretha plans on being alive and seeing this through to the end...classic Aretha ego...lol...)

Kelly Price, who sounds A LOT like the young Aretha...
Jill Scott came to mind...the stage presence is very similar...
and dare I say it...Jennifer Hudson.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Jennifer Hudson or Jill Scott are both right physically to portray Aretha. The young Aretha was cute, but she was not Halle Berry. What about Beyonce?

[MissLish]

Some of y'all get too hung up on the superficial. There are countless of great performances where the actor looks nothing like the character they are portraying. It's about bring Aretha's spirit to life peeps. Come on now.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Some of y'all get too hung up on the superficial. There are countless of great performances where the actor looks nothing like the character they are portraying. It's about bring Aretha's spirit to life peeps. Come on now.
OK, but Halle Berry as Aretha? C'MON.

[arrr&bee]

some of y'all get too hung up on the superficial. There are countless of great performances where the actor looks nothing like the character they are portraying. It's about bring aretha's spirit to life peeps. Come on now.if you gonna do a movie about someone's life then the actor should look something like the person they're portraying[yes lady sings the blues was good but diana as billie??no]and tell me why does beyonce's name always pop up,i guess if they do the[moms mabley story]they'll want beyonce for that role too...queen latifah as aretha.

[MissLish]

Again, there are countless roles where the actor looked nothing like the character portrayed.

[carlo]

Jennifer Hudson would be a perfect candidate IMO. Have you guys heard her version of "Respect"? She's got no problem with the singing part and she's an Academy Award winner.

[arrr&bee]

again, there are countless roles where the actor looked nothing like the character portrayed.yep,and if they ever do the diana ross story we'll get...whoopi goldberg..sounds like a winner to me!!

[ladyvanaye]

No it is about the look AND the vocal ability ...Aretha is larger than life in her circles...And really, Im still not over LEON doing LITTLE RICHARD when MIGUEL NUNEZ JR who can sing, dance and looks closer to LITTLE RICHARD played him in the Why DO Fools Fall In Love Movie as young Richard, but not in the bio-pic. A big WTH...Larenz Tate as Frankie Lymon was questionable too...but it worked. AND BEYONCE should NOT play Aretha in ANY aspect. Enough of her already...:[[

[Kamasu_Jr]

No it is about the look AND the vocal ability ...Aretha is larger than life in her circles...And really, Im still not over LEON doing LITTLE RICHARD when MIGUEL NUNEZ JR who can sing, dance and looks closer to LITTLE RICHARD played him in the Why DO Fools Fall In Love Movie as young Richard, but not in the bio-pic. A big WTH...Larenz Tate as Frankie Lymon was questionable too...but it worked. AND BEYONCE should NOT play Aretha in ANY aspect. Enough of her already...:[[

LadyV, I mentioned Beyonce because Aretha is obviously thinking of someone glamourous and light complexioned. BEYONCE might EVEN PUT ON A LITTLE WEIGHT.

[Kamasu_Jr]

Jennifer Hudson would be a perfect candidate IMO. Have you guys heard her version of "Respect"? She's got no problem with the singing part and she's an Academy Award winner.


Makes sense to me.

[marv2]

yep,and if they ever do the diana ross story we'll get...whoopi goldberg..sounds like a winner to me!!


I always vote for Buster Rhymes to do the role of Diana! Whoopi could be his under study or stunt double for the film! hehehehehehehe!

[marv2]

No it is about the look AND the vocal ability ...Aretha is larger than life in her circles...And really, Im still not over LEON doing LITTLE RICHARD when MIGUEL NUNEZ JR who can sing, dance and looks closer to LITTLE RICHARD played him in the Why DO Fools Fall In Love Movie as young Richard, but not in the bio-pic. A big WTH...Larenz Tate as Frankie Lymon was questionable too...but it worked. AND BEYONCE should NOT play Aretha in ANY aspect. Enough of her already...:[[

Beyonce? Oh heck no! Aretha is on the outs with her. Beyonce never made an Act of Contrition satisfiable to our Queen! Beyonce, in an abominable act of treason once referred to Tina Turner as "The Queen" ........in public! Now she cannot be trusted or worthy to be in the company of Aretha! She had better be glad this is not the Middle Ages or it would be off with her head! LOL!!!!!

[juicefree20]

@Ladvanaye

Nuff said on both counts :)

I believe that Leon is very convincing portraying singers, but his portrayal of Little Richard was an example of horrible miscasting.

[juicefree20]

I hereby renounce & repudiate anyone who requests that I portray the following...

Sam Cooke
Otis Redding
Marvin Gaye
James Brown
Wilson Pickett
Little Richard
Eddie King Jr.
Choirboy
Duck Matthews
J.T. Matthews
Dresser
Flash & ANY of The Five Horsemen
Bird or ANY of The Midnight Falcons
Big Red
The Supremes
and

Bobby Fuller!

Producers, please remove my name from your lists!

[juicefree20]

For pure chops & similarity in look at that age, I'd go with Jennifer Hudson because that girl has similar incendiary vocal qualities of 'The Queen". I could also see Jill Scott in this role. I love Latifah, but she doesn't quite have the vocal power, shading or nuances that Aretha possesed at such a young age. As I hate the idea of EVERYTHING having to be lip-synched, as regards this particular role, Latifah drops down a notch for me.

I believe that Jennifer has all of the ingredients necessary to knock this role out of the park.

[marv2]

I hereby renounce & repudiate anyone who requests that I portray the following...

Sam Cooke
Otis Redding
Marvin Gaye
James Brown
Wilson Pickett
Little Richard
Eddie King Jr.
Choirboy
Duck Matthews
J.T. Matthews
Dresser
Flash & ANY of The Five Horsemen
Bird or ANY of The Midnight Falcons
Big Red
The Supremes
and

Bobby Fuller!

Producers, please remove my name from your lists!

AWwww! LOL!!!!

[marv2]

This is the sweet, young and tender Aretha........





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpvcQOzyJ6U

[topdiva1]

For pure chops & similarity in look at that age, I'd go with Jennifer Hudson because that girl has similar incendiary vocal qualities of 'The Queen". I could also see Jill Scott in this role. I love Latifah, but she doesn't quite have the vocal power, shading or nuances that Aretha possesed at such a young age. As I hate the idea of EVERYTHING having to be lip-synched, as regards this particular role, Latifah drops down a notch for me.

I believe that Jennifer has all of the ingredients necessary to knock this role out of the park.

That is a more sensible choice - but - RERE- wants to be seen as beautiful, thin, and light, and believes she looks just like Halle.

[marv2]

That is a more sensible choice - but - RERE- wants to be seen as beautiful, thin, and light, and believes she looks just like Halle.

That's right and Halle is suppose to do whatever Aretha says! I cannot even believe she is contemplating turning down Aretha? Halle, think it over!

[juicefree20]

As regards the issue as to whether the actor should bear SOME similarity to the individual being portrayed, run this potential movie marquee through your mind...

STEPHANIE MILLS IS DIANA ROSS IN 'THE DIANA ROSS STORY'!!

Now, I wouldn't care if this happened, as Stephanie can sing her behind off. But, how would most fans view this selection?

I believe that folks should bear a resemblance to the person that they're portraying. When I watch a biography, I want to believe it. If, as is being suggested, looks mean nothing, why not let Celine Dion have the role? Would you pick Shaquille O'Neal to portray the life of Mickey Rooney, or Brad Pitt to portray Babe Ruth? There's absolutely NOTHING superficial about imagery. If that were really true, then people would select the BEST actor/actress/performer, as opposed to one whom is more marketable or has a CERTAIN look.

Then too, have often have I read here about how someone LOOKS? How often have I read words such as 'glamorous' spoken more than anything else about these folks? How many fans choose & deify their idols based upon how they LOOK, the glamorous things that they WEAR/WORE & less about the more ordinary things about them?

It seems to me as though Webster's describes THAT as behavior that's somewhat 'superficial'.

I believe that certain choices in these situations speaks volumes & can lead to a discussion that I have ZERO interest in entertaining here. In some situations, there is indeed a message which is FAR from 'superficial'.

Those who understand, understand. Those who don't, don't, won't & likely never will, or simply choose not to.

[skooldem1]

That is a more sensible choice - but - RERE- wants to be seen as beautiful, thin, and light, and believes she looks just like Halle.

Well at one time, Aretha was beautiful, thin, and "light".

[MissLish]

That is a more sensible choice - but - RERE- wants to be seen as beautiful, thin, and light, and believes she looks just like Halle.




How do you know what Aretha's thoughts are?

[marv2]

"Shaquille O'Neal to portray the life of Mickey Rooney"... OMG! LOL! I do understand your point though.

[topdiva1]

Well at one time, Aretha was beautiful, thin, and "light".

And we now have to deal with the remains if that time. If a film is ecer made in her life time - it will be of little substance. You know how the Queen do!!!

[juicefree20]

Topdiva said...[[sorry...haven't quite figured out this quote thingy)...


That is a more sensible choice - but - RERE- wants to be seen as beautiful, thin, and light, and believes she looks just like Halle.

Personally, I believe that Jennifer Hudson is quite attractive & has nothing to feel ashamed of. I doubt that many men would run away screaming from Jennifer. In fact, I hope that she doesn't try to lose anymore weight & stays right where she is presently. There's no shame in having Jennifer portray anyone & for some, Jennifer is a marked step-up.

Also to be considered, if you compare both ladies at a similar age, physically, there's not very much that separates Jennifer & Aretha. For comparasion, break out a few of those old Columbia or Atlantic LPs from the early-to-mid 60's.

But, Re-Re was definitely a BAAADDDD Mama Jama, which leads me to the second consideration. One of the things that spun the mainstream on its collective ear, was the power & authority that Aretha exercised when she sang Respect. That young lady wasn't merely ASKING for respect, she was DEMANDING it.

Which is to say that that young woman had fire & a spark. I get that same energy from Jennifer. For as much as I like & appreciate her, not so much from Halle.

Jennifer would be my choice.

[topdiva1]

Topdiva said...[[sorry...haven't quite figured out this quote thingy)...



Personally, I believe that Jennifer Hudson is quite attractive & has nothing to feel ashamed of. I doubt that many men would run away screaming from Jennifer. In fact, I hope that she doesn't try to lose anymore weight & stays right where she is presently. There's no shame in having Jennifer portray anyone & for some, Jennifer is a marked step-up.

Also to be considered, if you compare both ladies at a similar age, physically, there's not very much that separates Jennifer & Aretha. For comparasion, break out a few of those old Columbia or Atlantic LPs from the early-to-mid 60's.

But, Re-Re was definitely a BAAADDDD Mama Jama, which leads me to the second consideration. One of the things that spun the mainstream on its collective ear, was the power & authority that Aretha exercised when she sang Respect. That young lady wasn't merely ASKING for respect, she was DEMANDING it.

Which is to say that that young woman had fire & a spark. I get that same energy from Jennifer. For as much as I like & appreciate her, not so much from Halle.

Jennifer would be my choice.

And she would be mine - for a number of reasons - Now I do not know - but I think RERE wants someone more like Halle in the looks dept to play her. ReRe may not be feeling anyone else - besides it may not got made - because RERE is very private - and so the film will have no Hollywood type stuff in it - no drunk, drugged out star - gone bad - just RERE being The Queen of Soul,

[marv2]

And she would be mine - for a number of reasons - Now I do not know - but I think RERE wants someone more like Halle in the looks dept to play her. ReRe may not be feeling anyone else - besides it may not got made - because RERE is very private - and so the film will have no Hollywood type stuff in it - no drunk, drugged out star - gone bad - just RERE being The Queen of Soul,

Oh it can have a lot of compelling and controversial scenes in it beginning with her childhood and her mother separating from the family. Her "crush" on Sam Cooke. Her becoming a teenaged mom, TED WHITE, her involvement in the Civil Rights movement, her father's influence and his long term health condition, the Grammies, all the gospel great that were apart of her childhood years on the road with her Dad, etc,etc, etc

[topdiva1]

Oh it can have a lot of compelling and controversial scenes in it beginning with her childhood and her mother separating from the family. Her "crush" on Sam Cooke. Her becoming a teenaged mom, TED WHITE, her involvement in the Civil Rights movement, her father's influence and his long term health condition, the Grammies, all the gospel great that were apart of her childhood years on the road with her Dad, etc,etc, etc

Now that already sounds like a great movie - but how much will the Queen demand be whitewashed.

[midnightman]

^ Aretha don't want NONE of those scenes in the film, the most dramatic stories she had will not be in the film so who knows?

[midnightman]

Well at one time, Aretha was beautiful, thin, and "light".

*nodding in approval* Going back to her very early years in Columbia... when she finally became successful, she went for the "natural" look which fit her too. She glammed it back up in the mid-to-late 1970s.

[marv2]

Now that already sounds like a great movie - but how much will the Queen demand be whitewashed.

The part, the circumstances of her mom leaving. The part of whether or not she and Sam Cooke did the nasty and possibly Cecils' situation.

[marv2]

^ Aretha don't want NONE of those scenes in the film, the most dramatic stories she had will not be in the film so who knows?

I think you may be right and she has had a ton of them!

[MissLish]

Oh it can have a lot of compelling and controversial scenes in it beginning with her childhood and her mother separating from the family. Her "crush" on Sam Cooke. Her becoming a teenaged mom, TED WHITE, her involvement in the Civil Rights movement, her father's influence and his long term health condition, the Grammies, all the gospel great that were apart of her childhood years on the road with her Dad, etc,etc, etc




Natalie Cole; Gladys Knight..

[ms_m]

One of the great things about being in control of your life, you can decide what gets out and what doesn't.

Fans may not always like what Ree doesn't tell [[all) but it's Ree's business to tell or not and I applaud her for keeping some of it a mystery. In the end, it's really no ones business but her own. She's brought her talent to the table and dazzled us all, if that's not enough, I'm sure this Aries doesn't have to tell another Aries how to handle it.;)

[smark21]

So is there a project in the works, like the one on Flo Ballard, or is this thread all just speculative debate?

It's more important to get someone who can act. The actress can always lipsynch to the real Aretha recordings if she's not able to sing.

Another factor to consider: What part of Aretha's life would the story focus on? If it's focussed on Aretha Franklin in her teens and 20's then both Halle Berry and Queen Latifah would be on the outs. They're both well over 40 now and may not pull off playing a woman 20 years younger.

Hudson might be a good choice. And she's slimmed down quite considerably in the past year if Aretha wants to be portrayed as thin.

[ms_m]

smark21 it takes forever to get a project green lighted in Hollyweird. I'm sure the rights have already been purchased and this Halle Berry, who will play Ree thing may be simply a PR ploy to either see how much interest is out there, if there is any interest and who the public would like to see in the role.

It could also help the powers to be figure out whether it is a made for TV/cable flic or big screen project, who knows?

Speaking of Flo, wasn't there some talk about Faith Evans playing Flo Ballard?

[juicefree20]

If this happens, regardless of who gets the role, it would be nice. However, I'm not much into fantasy & there are a few realities to consider. Keeping it real, here's just one of them. The truth of the matter is that biopics are a very, very tough sell in Hollywood.

Here are the numbers for the highest grossing biopics & overall, they don't paint the prettiest of pictures, much less, any great support by anyone other than the most hardcore of fans. Read them & weep...

Rank/Movie/Company/Lifetime Gross/Theaters/Opening/Theaters/Opening Date
1 Walk the Line [[Johnny Cash & June Carter) Fox $119,519,402 3,160 $22,347,341 2,961 11/18/05
2 Ray [[Ray Charles) Uni. $75,331,600 2,474 $20,039,730 2,006 10/29/04
3 Coal Miner's Daughter [[Loretta Lynn) Uni. $67,182,787 - $3,366,443 437 3/7/80
4 La Bamba [[Ritchie Valens) Col. $54,215,416 1,251 $5,651,990 1,251 7/24/87
5 Amadeus [[Mozart) Orion $51,973,029 802 $505,276 25 9/21/84
6 What's Love Got to Do with It [[Tina Turner) BV $39,100,956 1,100 $1,222,718 58 6/11/93
7 Notorious [[2009) FoxS $36,843,682 1,641 $20,497,596 1,638 1/16/09
8 Shine [[David Helfgott) FL $35,892,330 1,050 $162,179 7 11/22/96
9 Selena [[Selena) WB $35,281,794 1,873 $11,615,722 1,850 3/21/97
10 The Doors [[Jim Morrison) TriS $34,416,893 1,236 $9,151,800 840 3/1/91
11 The Soloist P/DW $31,720,158 2,090 $9,716,458 2,024 4/24/09
12 The Buddy Holly Story [[Buddy Holly) Col. $14,363,400 - n/a - 5/19/78
13 Great Balls of Fire! [[Jerry Lee Lewis) Orion $13,741,060 1,417 $3,807,986 1,417 6/30/89
14 De-Lovely [[Cole Porter) UA $13,456,633 410 $292,963 16 7/2/04
15 Why Do Fools Fall in Love? [[Frankie Lymon) WB $12,461,773 1,377 $3,946,382 1,369 8/28/98
16 La Vie en Rose [[Edith Piaf) PicH $10,301,706 178 $179,848 8 6/8/07
17 Immortal Beloved [[Beethoven) Sony $9,914,409 463 $120,108 4 12/16/94
18 Sweet Dreams [[Patsy Cline) TriS $9,085,049 778 $2,161,284 778 10/4/85
19 Cadillac Records [[Chess Records artists) Sony $8,195,551 701 $3,445,559 687 12/5/08
20 American Hot Wax [[Alan Freed) Par. $7,932,571 - n/a - 3/17/78
21 El Cantante [[Hector Lavoe) PicH $7,556,712 542 $3,202,035 542 8/3/07
22 Beyond the Sea [[Bobby Darin) Lions $6,318,709 383 $45,264 6 12/17/04
23 Topsy-Turvy [[Gilbert & Sullivan) USA $6,208,548 224 $31,387 2 12/15/99
24 Hilary and Jackie [[Jacqueline du Pre) Oct. $4,912,892 300 $92,956 6 12/30/98
25 I'm Not There [[Bob Dylan) Wein. $4,017,609 149 $730,819 130 11/21/07
26 The Runaways [[The Runaways) App. $3,573,673 244 $805,115 244 3/19/10
27 Sid and Nancy [[Sid Vicious) Gold. $2,826,523 43 $50,829 2 10/17/86
28 Backbeat [[The Beatles) Gram. $2,392,589 211 $126,740 10 4/15/94
29 Bird [[Charlie Parker) WB $2,181,286 93 $27,116 1 9/30/88
30 Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould [[Glenn Gould) Gold. $1,319,521 - n/a - 11/26/93
31 24 Hour Party People [[Tony Wilson) MGM $1,184,096 37 $34,940 2 8/9/02
32 Control [[Ian Curtis) Wein. $872,252 29 $27,674 1 10/10/07
33 What We Do Is Secret[[The Germs) PArch $58,776 7 $5,888 1 8/8/08
34 Stoned [[Brian Jones) Scre. $38,922 6 $15,409 6 3/24/06

TOTAL [[All Movies): $724,392,307
AVERAGE [[All Movies): $21,305,656 714 $3,630,222 591
TOTAL [[Wide Releases Only): $557,778,693
AVERAGE[[Wide Releases Only): $39,841,335 1,496 $10,216,532 1,529

The AVERAGE biopic does roughly $24 million, which doesn't leave much room for a decent budget, much less profit margin.

http://boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=musicbio.htm

[marv2]

Juice, great information and thank you. Those stats are truly to be considered, however take a look at the top 3 on the list. They are of very popular music artists and gross the highest amounts on that list. Several on the list I am not very familiar with at all. I think Aretha's and Florence's stories could end up in the top 10 on that list if they are made and promoted correctly and based on their places/status in our Pop Culture.

[ms_m]

Juice Marv brings up an interesting point. As a matter of fact the majority are music based biopics. I will admit the grosses are low but that's usually the case for music themed films or musicals on film. There have been exceptions of course.

You should also check the release dates and compare them to other films around that time. A 3 mill gross in '85 meant a heck of a lot more than it would mean in 2011. Just as back in the day 700k units sold by an artist was success, now it will get you kicked off a label.

I don't have a clue whether this will ever get made but I don't think it's out of the question in some form. Earlier I checked the budget for the Tempts movie and it was only 8 mil which means a made for TV/cable movie isn't out of the question.

Throw in worldwide distribution and DVD sales and it could go from break even to great. Depends on the medium, the star, the supporting cast the script, the public, the alignment of the stars in the sky...:D

[juicefree20]

Marv

Anytime at all & you are correct about the Top 3 being iconic. Another thing to be considered is that all three enjoyed great success in what Genre...

Country & Western music!

Remember the explosive success that Ray enjoyed when he crossed over to all genres with the classic 'Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music' Lp. Those excursions removed Ray from the usual 'R&B/Soul' pigeon-holing that ensnares far too many of our artists. And let's not forget his rendition of 'America The Beautiful', which also transcended all musical genres. Tell me, exactly WHO comprised the vast majority of Ray's audiences for the last 30 years or so of his career?

If you answer that, you'll have one of the components of the success of his movie. Ray was 'Everyman', somewhat accessible & revealed some of his flaws in the process. While living, Ray gave some insights as to who he was, again, warts & all. Because of this, folks felt as though they knew him at least a little.

Add to this the story of his life & the fact that he allowed SOME of those warts to be exposed in that film, made the movie more interesting than a varnished version of his life. In the life of Ray, you have a compelling story, warts be damned. A blind man accomplishing all that he did, his business dealings, owning his own masters, a precedent-setting accomplishment for anyone, much less a blind black man, was simply amazing. And the performance of Jamie Foxx was no small reason for the success of this movie. The buzz surrounding this movie was incredible & the fact that Ray died shortly before the release of the movie meant that he figured prominently in people's minds.

All of this is to say that Ray appealed to a wide range of people & he seemed to be a bit more accessible & always laughing & smiling. Ray was the epitome of cool & because of that, his story would tend to appeal to a wider audience. Doubtless, Aretha has had an interesting life. The question is how much would she be willing to tell in order to satisfy the tabloid-story hungry, reality-show watching, scandal-loving public of today?

I'm guessing not enough to give some folks the juicy story that they would want to see.

That's my take on it.

[juicefree20]

Ms. M:

That may be true, but I imagine that other considerations for any studio would be DVD sales, rentals [[for however much longer those last), as well as worldwide sales.

Another important factor is the number of theaters that the distributor can get the movie into. The more theaters, the more the opportunity for the movie to be seen. The problem with lower-budgeted movies, especially for many with a black theme, is being able to get those movies into more theaters.

THAT & convincing folks that these stories are worthwhile, seems to be the biggest hurdles.

We're still waiting on movies about Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke & Otis Redding, as well as realistic movies on The Supremes & The Temptations to be made. I'm sure that most of us believe that they deserve to be made. And what about a movie on Etta James, a story which surely has all of the salaciousness & other ingredients that Hollywood loves so much?

The question seems to be why don't the bean counters feel about these stories as most of us seem to?

[marv2]

Great points and synopsis of Ray Charles' unique life situation. It takes a very special person that would could stand to have their public and personal exposed on the big screen for all the World to see and critique. I know Aretha and I have to agree that there WILL be some problem there in getting her to let them use some of the more controversial subjects from her life and times. We'll see. I was just saying in another thread about the film "Blondie: the Florence Ballard Story" that in order for the film to be a big success, they will have to go there.......include some controversial subject matter.

[ms_m]

Juice you keep focusing on film projects, that's not the only way to get this project out there.

Bean counters look at the same numbers you posted Juice......LOL

Let's take Cadillac Records, that was a well written and well acted film. Why didn't the public show it more love?

How about Bird? An EXCELLENT film. Why is it sitting near the bottom of your posted list?

Juice there are a lot of things about bean counters I can complain about but it's not all about them as much as it is about what the public is supporting.

[ms_m]

and BTW....Ray was more about Jamie Foxx than Ray Charles because at the time, Jamie Foxx was on fire in the public eye.

It's easy to point fingers outward Juice but we have to take responsibility as well. I hear the same complaint about movies in general but people were not lining up for "Beloved" and Oprah acted her arse off in that flick, the entire cast did. Not to mention it was a classic from Toni Morrison.

People complained about "Precious" but Monique deserved an Oscar...she was OUTSTANDING, hell Mariah Carey was impressive in that movie but folks complain about Tyler Perry... his Medea movies make a hell of a lot more money than his non Medea movies and check out the lines the next time one is in the theater...it's not "bean counters" buying up the tickets. [[and I KNOW you catch my drift)

[ms_m]

Juice I just did a quick goggle search

MPAA: In 2006, An Average Studio Movie Cost $65.8M To Produce

this was five years ago so you know the cost have gone up. What normal person much less a bean counter is going to wager 65.8 million dollars to make a movie and pray, the public will support it when they haven't shown that kind of support for certain types of movies in the past?

And wager wasn't just a random word I chose.

I love Ree, Marvin, Otis, Sam Cook but you and me going to the theater can't cover the cost of a 65.8 million dollar movie, hell 2000 plus SDF members buying tickets can't turn a profit on a movie that cost that kind of money to make. Reality is a beacth but business is about reality.

Emotionally I understand where you are coming from, been there done that but one of the many hats I have to wear is bean counter and trust, I piss my peeps off a lot. LOL...but money does not grow on trees and it takes money to do business....remember what I told you about my shock at postage cost?

You want these projects done, make sure they are going to make money and the only way to do that is to support what comes out there. Even if you can't stand Beyonce.....because the point is, if a Cadillac Records can do well, it opens the door and purse strings up for Marvin, The Supremes. etc.....that's how it works.

[glencro]

Ms_m, Faith Evans is doing the movie on Flo Ballard. She was on Wendy Williams show and stated that Flo's daughter's hand picked her for the role. It was at one time reported that Aretha wanted gospel singer Karen Clark Sheard for the role but Karen said that she couldn't do the role justice http://www.12-play.net/f20/her-story-aretha-franklin-taps-karen-clark-sheard-bio-project-15646/

[ms_m]

Thanks for the info Glencro. I thought I had heard something about Faith Evans in the role.

[marv2]

Relating to this topic, I just learned that a new film,the documentary "Sing Your Song," focusing on the life of Harry Belafonte is being screened at the Sundance Film Festival.

[arrr&bee]

I was gonna suggest maybe-dawnn lewis as the young aretha,but maybe she's too old now??....[hey put down that tar and feathers].

[ms_m]

dawnn lewis

Interesting choice but I could see that. I think in the minds of execs you are right, they would probably see her as too old plus she doesn't have box office appeal.

What about the little girl that played in Akeelah and The Bee, Keke somebody...she's old enough now to probably tackle a young Ree and she's a singer.....or

Raven Symone.....hey, it's just a suggestion.....LOL

[arrr&bee]

interesting choice but i could see that. I think in the minds of execs you are right, they would probably see her as too old plus she doesn't have box office appeal.

What about the little girl that played in akeelah and the bee, keke somebody...she's old enough now to probably tackle a young ree and she's a singer.....or

raven symone.....hey, it's just a suggestion.....lol
ms.m you are a visionary[wit yo fine self]i like your choices!!

[MissLish]

ms.m you are a visionary[wit yo fine self]i like your choices!!



Intelligent and good looking?! Let me peep ms_m's profile! If she's too hott, her eyes may need to be scratched out! ;o)

[marv2]

Interesting choice but I could see that. I think in the minds of execs you are right, they would probably see her as too old plus she doesn't have box office appeal.

What about the little girl that played in Akeelah and The Bee, Keke somebody...she's old enough now to probably tackle a young Ree and she's a singer.....or

Raven Symone.....hey, it's just a suggestion.....LOL

I sorta like that idea of Raven Symone Ms_M.

[topdiva1]

At least Halle had the common good sense to know SHE DOES NOT WANT TO PLAY RE. I wonder what she really thought.

[ms_m]

I sorta like that idea of Raven Symone Ms_M.

Truth be told, so do I. LOL
Although I have never payed any attention to her singing but it could be dubbed.

[smark21]

Dawn Lewis turns 50 later this year so she's too old to play the young Aretha. And she's not exactly a big draw either, though she's a decent actress.

How about Fantasia as Aretha? She's in her mid 20's. She can sing. And she's done some acting [[Color Purple on Broadway and National Tour) and playing herself in a made for TV movie about her own life. Of course she may not be box office for a theatrical release, but perhaps for a made for Cable movie?

[topdiva1]

Dawn Lewis turns 50 later this year so she's too old to play the young Aretha. And she's not exactly a big draw either, though she's a decent actress.

How about Fantasia as Aretha? She's in her mid 20's. She can sing. And she's done some acting [[Color Purple on Broadway and National Tour) and playing herself in a made for TV movie about her own life. Of course she may not be box office for a theatrical release, but perhaps for a made for Cable movie?


Fantasia is the favorite of Patti LaBelle to play her life story. Sorry guys RERE wants light and pretty - thus - Halle. Now Raven Simone is an interesting choice - very Disney - and Disney has the money and power, but would want control. That does not work for the Queen of Soul.

[olamaebarto]

If this happens, regardless of who gets the role, it would be nice. However, I'm not much into fantasy & there are a few realities to consider. Keeping it real, here's just one of them. The truth of the matter is that biopics are a very, very tough sell in Hollywood.

Here are the numbers for the highest grossing biopics & overall, they don't paint the prettiest of pictures, much less, any great support by anyone other than the most hardcore of fans. Read them & weep...

Rank/Movie/Company/Lifetime Gross/Theaters/Opening/Theaters/Opening Date
1 Walk the Line [[Johnny Cash & June Carter) Fox $119,519,402 3,160 $22,347,341 2,961 11/18/05
2 Ray [[Ray Charles) Uni. $75,331,600 2,474 $20,039,730 2,006 10/29/04
3 Coal Miner's Daughter [[Loretta Lynn) Uni. $67,182,787 - $3,366,443 437 3/7/80
4 La Bamba [[Ritchie Valens) Col. $54,215,416 1,251 $5,651,990 1,251 7/24/87
5 Amadeus [[Mozart) Orion $51,973,029 802 $505,276 25 9/21/84
6 What's Love Got to Do with It [[Tina Turner) BV $39,100,956 1,100 $1,222,718 58 6/11/93
7 Notorious [[2009) FoxS $36,843,682 1,641 $20,497,596 1,638 1/16/09
8 Shine [[David Helfgott) FL $35,892,330 1,050 $162,179 7 11/22/96
9 Selena [[Selena) WB $35,281,794 1,873 $11,615,722 1,850 3/21/97
10 The Doors [[Jim Morrison) TriS $34,416,893 1,236 $9,151,800 840 3/1/91
11 The Soloist P/DW $31,720,158 2,090 $9,716,458 2,024 4/24/09
12 The Buddy Holly Story [[Buddy Holly) Col. $14,363,400 - n/a - 5/19/78
13 Great Balls of Fire! [[Jerry Lee Lewis) Orion $13,741,060 1,417 $3,807,986 1,417 6/30/89
14 De-Lovely [[Cole Porter) UA $13,456,633 410 $292,963 16 7/2/04
15 Why Do Fools Fall in Love? [[Frankie Lymon) WB $12,461,773 1,377 $3,946,382 1,369 8/28/98
16 La Vie en Rose [[Edith Piaf) PicH $10,301,706 178 $179,848 8 6/8/07
17 Immortal Beloved [[Beethoven) Sony $9,914,409 463 $120,108 4 12/16/94
18 Sweet Dreams [[Patsy Cline) TriS $9,085,049 778 $2,161,284 778 10/4/85
19 Cadillac Records [[Chess Records artists) Sony $8,195,551 701 $3,445,559 687 12/5/08
20 American Hot Wax [[Alan Freed) Par. $7,932,571 - n/a - 3/17/78
21 El Cantante [[Hector Lavoe) PicH $7,556,712 542 $3,202,035 542 8/3/07
22 Beyond the Sea [[Bobby Darin) Lions $6,318,709 383 $45,264 6 12/17/04
23 Topsy-Turvy [[Gilbert & Sullivan) USA $6,208,548 224 $31,387 2 12/15/99
24 Hilary and Jackie [[Jacqueline du Pre) Oct. $4,912,892 300 $92,956 6 12/30/98
25 I'm Not There [[Bob Dylan) Wein. $4,017,609 149 $730,819 130 11/21/07
26 The Runaways [[The Runaways) App. $3,573,673 244 $805,115 244 3/19/10
27 Sid and Nancy [[Sid Vicious) Gold. $2,826,523 43 $50,829 2 10/17/86
28 Backbeat [[The Beatles) Gram. $2,392,589 211 $126,740 10 4/15/94
29 Bird [[Charlie Parker) WB $2,181,286 93 $27,116 1 9/30/88
30 Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould [[Glenn Gould) Gold. $1,319,521 - n/a - 11/26/93
31 24 Hour Party People [[Tony Wilson) MGM $1,184,096 37 $34,940 2 8/9/02
32 Control [[Ian Curtis) Wein. $872,252 29 $27,674 1 10/10/07
33 What We Do Is Secret[[The Germs) PArch $58,776 7 $5,888 1 8/8/08
34 Stoned [[Brian Jones) Scre. $38,922 6 $15,409 6 3/24/06

TOTAL [[All Movies): $724,392,307
AVERAGE [[All Movies): $21,305,656 714 $3,630,222 591
TOTAL [[Wide Releases Only): $557,778,693
AVERAGE[[Wide Releases Only): $39,841,335 1,496 $10,216,532 1,529

The AVERAGE biopic does roughly $24 million, which doesn't leave much room for a decent budget, much less profit margin.

http://boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=musicbio.htm

Wonderful info. Thank you, dear.

[ms_m]

You inspire me Jai, what can I say.....MUAH;)

[ms_m]

hahahah

Don't worry MissLish, too old to be a threat and you will have to check the archives for my pic.:cool:

[arrr&bee]

you inspire me jai, what can i say.....muah;)be still my heart!!!!!!

[glencro]

I really believe that [[as stated before) Jennifer Hudson would be perfect for the role. In "Dream Girls" when she auditioned for the club owner singing "I Love You I Do" she looked just like a young Aretha. Seems like Aretha sort of ble wthe suggestion off when she was on the phone with Wendy Williams and Wendy said that she was thinking Jennifer Hudson. Only time will tell, if it even makes it to the big or small screen

[topdiva1]

I really believe that [[as stated before) Jennifer Hudson would be perfect for the role. In "Dream Girls" when she auditioned for the club owner singing "I Love You I Do" she looked just like a young Aretha. Seems like Aretha sort of ble wthe suggestion off when she was on the phone with Wendy Williams and Wendy said that she was thinking Jennifer Hudson. Only time will tell, if it even makes it to the big or small screen

Jennifer Hudson would be great I believe. But who would play Dennis Edwards, and Rere's dad - Rev Franklin - i understands Rere would like Denzel for the dad role.

Maybe Rere is just playing FANTASY CASTING!!! It could happen.

[Lance B]

Jennifer Hudson seems like the obvious choice in my book. Queen Latifah and Jill Scott would be my runners-up.

[arrr&bee]

jennifer hudson would be great i believe. But who would play dennis edwards, and rere's dad - rev franklin - i understands rere would like denzel for the dad role.

Maybe rere is just playing fantasy casting!!! It could happen.yeah,and who would play-glynn turman??maybe don cheadle??

[reese]

Yesterday, Aretha sent a telegram to Wendy Williams responding to Halle's declining the role. She stated that Halle was her first choice to play the "older" Aretha, and that she shouldn't underestimate her abilites, as actresses frequently lipsync to recordings when playing vocalists.

Wendy went on to comment that she feels Aretha should go for Jennifer Hudson. If not her, Queen Latifah or Taraji P. Henson.

[glencro]

Jennifer Hudson would be great I believe. But who would play Dennis Edwards, and Rere's dad - Rev Franklin - i understands Rere would like Denzel for the dad role.

Maybe Rere is just playing FANTASY CASTING!!! It could happen.

LMAO @ Fantasy Casting

[topdiva1]

LMAO @ Fantasy Casting


LMAO @ Halle Playing Aretha.

[MissLish]

Miss GloZell on Halle Berry IS Aretha Franklin!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bavpzf17R48

[captainjames]

Actually Jennifer Hudsson would be better as Aretha.

[topdiva1]

Actually Jennifer Hudsson would be better as Aretha.

Very True.

[DrPhillips6000]

I have to agree that Hudson would be a good choice to play Aretha, she can handle the singing and her acting is decent.

[topdiva1]

There is no current plans to do a Queen of Soul movie.