Mahogany Remake in the Works

[jobeterob]

HOMECOMPANYPRESSAWARDSCONTACTNewsRecent NewsSep 01
Mahogany Press Release

Newly formed de Passe-Jones Entertainment principals Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones [[Currently producing the Martin Luther King biopic with Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks) have obtained the rights to the Diana Ross Billy Dee Williams classic MAHOGANY, from the film’s director and rights holder Mr. Berry Gordy.

Amber Entertainment has joined de Passe-Jones as a producing partner on several film projects now in development. Created in 2009 by New Line Cinema veterans Ileen Maisel, Mark Ordesky and Jane Fleming, alongside renowned documentary and television producer Lawrence Elman, Amber Entertainment is a new media entertainment company that is forging new models for bringing filmed entertainment to audiences worldwide. The company combines the acquisition of diverse intellectual property rights and their conversion into feature films, television, documentaries, interactive entertainment, publishing, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products.

The production team is in the process of seeking a writer, or writer/director, to bring to the project. de Passe-Jones and Amber will be jointly financing 50% of the development and production thought to be in the $25 million dollar range.

The original movie received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song, “DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING TO” [[Theme from Mahogany). Diana Ross performed the song at the Academy Awards. Her recording was a number one hit around the world.

Story centers on Tracy, a Chicago native struggling to make it as a high fashion designer while working a go nowhere job. She has a great guy in her life, Brian, a community activist, who does not see her career as relevant nor possible. She grabs the opportunity to go to Europe as a model, choosing career over love, in the hopes that being in the world of high fashion, will bring her closer to her dream. Tracy gets tangled in some tricky personal relationships and finally comes to the conclusion that “Success is nothing without someone you love to share it with.”

“We are excited to bring a remake of this classic film to a whole new audience and are grateful to Mr. Gordy for his trust” said Madison Jones.

“There are so few female driven stories for African American actors and this is great material, with issues that are as relevant today as they were in the 70’s”, said Suzanne de Passe

“The heart of Mahogany is a story about making your dreams come true, and that is as relevant and urgent today as ever. And with platforms such Project Runway, BET, MTV, VH1 and the like, the capacity to deliver and expand the film’s audience has never been stronger”, said Ileen Maisel and Mark Ordesky.

[BigAl]

Sadly, the theme song was the best thing about the original, and I can only wonder why this, of all films, would be chosen for a remake. The incredible Ross-Williams chemistry in Lady Sings the Blues somehow evaporated by the time Mahogany was made, and would have been the only thing to save the listless film. Tony Perkins pretty much phoned in his role and...well, there's no point in going on about it. It just seems a very unlikely choice for a remake.

[tamla617]

really?........whats the point?

[marybrewster]

Of all films to remake.....

A better question is: why are there no fresh ideas in "Hollywood"? They've remade just about everything. What's next? "The Wizard of Oz"? "Gone With the Wind"?

By no means is "Mahogany" a "classic" [[as it's referred to several times in the article), but I wish they would start leaving films alone.

On a side note, y'all have heard they are remaking "Steel Magnolias"?

[skooldem1]

Good film or not, it is a classic. Most classics get revisted and remade. Wouldn't it be great if Diana had a cameo in the movie? She could play the woman that ran things in the first movie. The characters name escapes me at the moment. In the scene where Tracey is being interviewed by the fashion elite, Tracey says something like, "I don't have those either..." and then to the woman she says "why don't you take over" and the woman then says to Tracey, how she'd love to....."I am Gavina[[?)". LOL. I think that's the characters name. That would be a great cameo for Diana. Or they could write a slightly different movie like they did with "Sparkle". Diana can play the mother of the "new Mahogany".

[masterblaster]

I have never seen this film, it only got a brief release in the UK and has never been shown on TV. I suspect it was just never considered good enough !!

[Motown Andy]

I always thought a sequel would work well with this film. Perhaps a better choice than a remake. Diana and Billie Dee and their children. The demand to bring Tracy Chambers out of retirement, and her successful husband in politics. It's really a simple yet satisfying script. I'd write a treatment for that over a remake.

[marybrewster]

Good film or not, it is a classic. Most classics get revisted and remade. Wouldn't it be great if Diana had a cameo in the movie? She could play the woman that ran things in the first movie. The characters name escapes me at the moment. In the scene where Tracey is being interviewed by the fashion elite, Tracey says something like, "I don't have those either..." and then to the woman she says "why don't you take over" and the woman then says to Tracey, how she'd love to....."I am Gavina[[?)". LOL. I think that's the characters name. That would be a great cameo for Diana. Or they could write a slightly different movie like they did with "Sparkle". Diana can play the mother of the "new Mahogany".

Nice thought, but I thought Diana was too busy raising her grandbabies?

[marybrewster]

I always thought a sequel would work well with this film. Perhaps a better choice than a remake. Diana and Billie Dee and their children. The demand to bring Tracy Chambers out of retirement, and her successful husband in politics. It's really a simple yet satisfying script. I'd write a treatment for that over a remake.

Much better idea. Tracy and Brian's son, Andrew, is running for President. Brian can give Andrew campaign advice, while Tracy designs gowns for the future First Lady, Mary.

[Jimi LaLumia]

the ONLY choice that makes sense...BEYONCE IS MAHOGANY!!

[jobeterob]

Remake, Sequel, Beyonce...........it all works.

What makes it possible to consider a remake or sequel is that Diana Ross was in the film.

There is a basic story here that will work again and again.

Suzanne seems to hook up to winners, so perhaps it has a chance to be another M25 or Lonesome Dove.

The first time around it was a little hokey; some bringing it up to date would be wise.

[thommg]

Evidently, this press release is a year old having been sent out September 1, 2011. I'm including a link to a recent article about it. There is no indication of the movie on Suzanne de Passe's IMDB page, though there is a Facebbok page - Janet Jackson and Lenny Kravitz in Mahogany Remake.

I think it's an interesting story just told in a poor way originally.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/shadowandact/a-remake-of-mahogany-is-in-development-as-de-passe-jones-entertainment-obtains-rights

[jobeterob]

Interesting with Janet Jackson and Lenny Kravitz. How is Janet's acting?

[marv2]

She is a much better actress than Diana Ross [[and Beyonce.....). More experienced. I loved her in "Poetic Justice" and thought she was good as Penny on "Good Times". She was alright, if not memorable in "FAME". However, I wouldn't want to see her involved in a remake of a fairly forgotten and not very good movie such as "Mahogany

[marv2]

Nice thought, but I thought Diana was too busy raising her grandbabies?

That's only if the director is African Amercian like Tyler Perry! Kind of ironic because the first "Mahogany" was directed by an African American......Berry Gordy Jr.

[marv2]

really?........whats the point?

The only point I can see is to make a quick buck! They don't have to write a script, screenplay or story. The movie sucked when I saw it around November of 1975 [[ too many weird scenes in it that did not make sense). Suzanne DePasse is crazy [[in my opinion).

[smark21]

Good film or not, it is a classic. Most classics get revisted and remade. Wouldn't it be great if Diana had a cameo in the movie? She could play the woman that ran things in the first movie. The characters name escapes me at the moment. In the scene where Tracey is being interviewed by the fashion elite, Tracey says something like, "I don't have those either..." and then to the woman she says "why don't you take over" and the woman then says to Tracey, how she'd love to....."I am Gavina[[?)". LOL. I think that's the characters name. That would be a great cameo for Diana. Or they could write a slightly different movie like they did with "Sparkle". Diana can play the mother of the "new Mahogany".

Miss Ross is a superstar. She doesn’t do cameos. She doesn’t do supporting parts. She doesn’t do ensemble.

[marv2]

Miss Ross is a superstar. She doesn’t do cameos. She doesn’t do supporting parts. She doesn’t do ensemble.

She also doesn't do films because of her attitude!

[jobeterob]

Miss Ross is a superstar. She doesn’t do cameos. She doesn’t do supporting parts. She doesn’t do ensemble.

She also has done lots of movies.............Double Platinum, Out of Darkness, The Wiz, Lady, Mahogany and some lengthy interviews ~ the Actors Studio.

I think we could easily see her do another movie, perhaps an ensemble, perhaps a cameo even. Perhaps.

[smark21]

5 movies, 2 of which were made for TV, over 40 years is not a lot of movies jobetrob. In all seriousness, I don’t think Diana Ross has any interest in making movies. Her fans have to accept she’s semi retired and that family, not career , seems to be her priority

As for who to cast in a remake: Janet is in her late 40s. She’s too old to play a young, aspiring fashion designer who becomes a model. Beyonce is too curvy to be convincing as a top fashion model. Rhianna perhaps? She’s known for her fashion edge.

[jobeterob]

Video Interviews Reviews Boards Store CHANNELS okayafrica. largeup. revivalist. Pass The Popcorn: Mahogany Remake & CB4 Sequel In The Worksby Eddie "STATS" on August 30, 2012 NEWS 1 Comment


Remake fever seems to have taken over Hollywood these days, because the Whitney Houston vehicle Sparkle [[a remake of the 1970s Curtis Mayfield/Aretha Franklin vehicle Sparkle) had barely been in theaters a week before news broke that Motown founder Berry Gordy, Jr. has already worked out a deal for a remake of the Diana Ross vehicle and cult favorite Mahogany. As indieWire reports, last fall Gordy quietly signed over rights for the remake to de Passe-Jones Entertainment, the production company belonging to former Motown exec [[now TV and film producer), Suzanne de Passe and Phillip Madison Jones. According to the company’s website:



“Newly formed de Passe-Jones Entertainment principals Suzanne de Passe and Madison Jones [[Currently producing the Martin Luther King biopic with Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks) have obtained the rights to the Diana Ross Billy Dee Williams classic MAHOGANY, from the film’s director and rights holder Mr. Berry Gordy.”

The story goes on to quote de Passe and Jones from an official press release about the project:

“We are excited to bring a remake of this classic film to a whole new audience and are grateful to Mr. Gordy for his trust” said Madison Jones. [Added de Passe]: “There are so few female-driven stories for African American actors and this is great material, with issues that are as relevant today as they were in the 70’s.”

The company is currently working with Star Jones and has established a “first-look” deal with Universal Pictures, so the smart money is that’s where the project will land, although it may be a while before we know more details [[and Sparkle’s middling performance at the box office will surely delay things further). Until then we can pass the time speculating about who will reprise the role of Mahogany, the struggling designer from the tenements of Chicago originally played by Ms. Diana Ross. Zoe Saldana? Anybody? [[maybe we can trade her Diana Ross for Nina Simone and everyone will be happy).

Meanwhile back in el barrio, Chris Rock recently revealed that there’s been some loose talk between himself and scribe Nelson George about a sequel to the farcical rap-umentary [[and cult favorite) CB4. Watch the interview with Sway wherein Rock talks about “kicking some ideas around” about a “grown-man rapper” saga after the jump [[CB4 discussion starts at about the 3-minute mark).

[jeff9nyc]

Janet is also a tiny little lady. Short. Although very pretty in person, she doesn't have that "model persona."

[nathanj06]

I agree with BigAl. Why? It's been done.

[nathanj06]

Of all films to remake.....

A better question is: why are there no fresh ideas in "Hollywood"? They've remade just about everything. What's next? "The Wizard of Oz"? "Gone With the Wind"?

By no means is "Mahogany" a "classic" [[as it's referred to several times in the article), but I wish they would start leaving films alone.

On a side note, y'all have heard they are remaking "Steel Magnolias"?

Now there's one [[Steel Magnolias) that needs to be left alone. Enough already.

[Glenpwood]

Steel Magnolias is already done and will be on Lifetime this fall. Queen Latifah and Phillicia Rashad are starring....

[jobeterob]

.CommentsDiana Ross Classic Mahogany Remake In The Works
Published by Danica Daniel on Thursday, September 6, 2012 at 9:04 am.



Following in the footsteps of Dreamgirls [[which starred Jennifer Hudson and Beyonce) and Sparkle [[starring the late Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks), a remake of Diana Ross’ cult classic Mahogany is in the works courtesy of Motown founder Berry Gordy Jr. and former executive producer Suzanna de Passe.

The film is set to be produced by the newly-formed de Passe-Jones Entertainment, created by De Passe and Madison Jones ,whom is currently working on the Martin Luther King biopic with Dreamworks and Steven Spielberg. “We are excited to bring a remake of this classic film to a whole new audience and are grateful to Mr. Gordy for his trust” said Jones in an official press statement. [Added de Passe]: “There are so few female-driven stories for African American actors and this is great material, with issues that are as relevant today as they were in the 70’s.”

Directed by Gordy, Jr., Mahogany originally hit theaters in 1975 and traced the life of a poor girl who overcomes various obstacles to make it in the fashion world, first as a model and later as a designer. The film spawned the Oscar-nominated classic tune “Do You Know When You’re Going To.”

[arrr&bee]

I kinda like mahogany but leave it alone,remake[the temptations]leave out the corniness stick closer to the book and have spike lee direct.