For fans of old-school hip-hop, Marley Marl's Juice Crew is the stuff of legends. So it really is about time that they got their very own musical biopic. In an interview with VH1 blog, Marl sat down to talk about the upcoming film titled Vapors (presumably taken from the Biz Markie song of the same name) that is set to start shooting this month in Queens, NY. For the uninitiated, Juice Crew were a hip-collective formed by Marl and its members included Roxanne Shante, MC Shan, Biz Markie, and Big Daddy Kane. The group was a way for Marl to highlight his skills as a producer and the group gained notoriety for their high-profile feuds with Boogie Down Productions and UTFO. Marl says that the film is going to be, "--basically me, Big Daddy Kane and Biz's life story leading up to 1988. How we got there. How we made the golden era pop. ... A lot of ups and downs, a lot of personal sh--. It is what it is." Marl, Roxanne Shante and Big Daddy Kane will all serve as executive producers on the film which is being made with Indiefilmx.com

According to Marl, Furqaan Clover has already signed to direct, but it turns out that some of the casting news released back in December might have been a little premature. BlackFilm.com had reported that Cuba Gooding Jr. had already been cast as Marley Marl, rapper-actor David Banner would play the part of Biz Markie, Evan Ross was playing MC Shan, and Jackie Long would appear as Big Daddy Kane. Now Marl tells VH1 that no decisions have been reached yet, and that they will choose, "The best actor possible, --- We gonna tally it up at the end and see who it could be. We need the movie 'Vapors' to make its point, and a lot of the young kids to know what birthed the golden era" -- Amen to that. Vapors is aiming for a 2008 release so start dusting off your Cazals and door-knocker earrings now.

"This summer...hold on to your crown...The Queen rules again bitches!" Yes, Variety is reporting that writer Peter Morgan is working on a follow-up to last year's Oscar-winning hit, The Queen. The Queen was a very British story, but this time he's bringing America into the mix, specifically Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. The new film will deal with their relationships to Prime Minster Tony Blair (played wonderfully in The Queen by Michael Sheen, who is expected to return for the sequel). The film "will focus on Blair's reaction to the handover of power between Clinton, a natural liberal ally, and Bush, who came from the other end of the political spectrum." The project will actually be the third in Morgan's series of films about Blair, which began with the Channel 4 telepic The Deal.

The most intriguing aspect of this film might just be its casting. Who can effectively capture the good old boy charisma and charm of Bill Clinton? John Travolta did a very nice job playing a highly Clintonesque character in Primary Colors. I sure wish Phil Hartman was still alive (for a variety of reasons), I don't think anyone's nailed Clinton better, and I always sensed Hartman could have easily handled drama. Who can get across the thick layer of bluster, blind confidence, and -- what's a nice word? -- naivete present in a George W. Bush speech? Something tells me they won't go the Will Ferrell route. My pick for Dubya would be the great William H. Macy, he's got the "shifty dude whose world is crumbling around him" thing down pat. What do you guys think? Assuming they don't go with unknowns, who would you cast as two of the most recognizable figures in politics -- Bush and Clinton?

I'm probably not alone in this, but until today I had never heard of the British music legend Joe Meek -- but I guess that's what Wikipedia is for. Dark Horizons is reporting that the former lead singer of The Darkness, Justin Hawkins, and ex-Libertine guitarist, Carl Barat, have signed on for roles in a biopic about "the flamboyantly gay, tone deaf, songwriter-producer". I wish they could call it that, but they're going with Telstar instead. So be it. Meek was an independent producer and songwriter who was credited with being one of the pioneers of modern music. Notable for being truly independent, he worked out of his home and crafted a string of hits in the '60s. Like many other icons of the '60s, Meek's life came to a tragic end when he murdered his landlady before taking his own life in 1967.

Nick Moran of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels fame will make his directorial debut with the film; he also wrote the 2005 stage play called Telstar (named after one of Meek's big hits) which serves as the basis for the film, including the title. Back in July, Patrick had reported that Kevin Spacey had already signed on for a role as Major Banks, one of Meek's financial supporters. Some of the other cast listed on the flick's IMDB page are a little stranger; mainly the inclusion of The Daily Show's Jon Stewart in the part of 'Dennis'. There is no word on who Hawkins or Barat will play, but it definitely won't be the lead, since British actor Con O'Neill is reprising his role from the stage as Meek. Telstar is currently in post-production and is set for release sometime in 2008.

*Correction: Image removed due to copyright issues

Leave it to the eclectic director Todd Haynes to come up with the wacky idea of getting Cate Blanchett in the role of Bob Dylan -- and if anyone can pull it off it would be Blanchett, who is easily the best actress working today. Ain't it Cool News has a clip from Haynes' Dylan biopic I'm Not There in a scene that shows Dylan (Blanchett) receiving an impromptu pep-talk from the poet Allan Ginsberg, as played by comedian David Cross. Cross is another unlikely casting choice in the movie, but he does bear a passing resemblance to the late great poet. Last month, Erik had news of the first poster for the film, and there had already been a few glimpses of Blanchett decked out as Dylan, but it's something else to see the actress doing a pretty admirable job of channeling the legendary singer.

Haynes is obviously going for poetic spin on the narrative here and the film will feature Dylan's original music, so at least fans aren't going to have to sit through another thinly veiled caricature à la Factory Girl. This is Haynes' second feature film steeped in music history, having also directed Velvet Goldmine, a loose retelling of the relationship between David Bowie and Iggy Pop. Blanchett's role in I'm Not There has garnered the most attention obviously, because of the gender-bending, but the cast also includes well-known names like Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Richard Gere -- they're all playing Dylan in different stages of his career. So if you like what you see in this clip, then you'll be happy to know that I'm Not There is set for release on September 21st.

Well, I guess we can add another name to the list of actors competing for the role of the late great Rat Packer Sammy Davis Jr. While doing some press with MTV for Hairspray, star Elijah Kelley let it slip that he is in talks to play the legendary song and dance man. Now, here's where it starts to get a little complicated for Kelley. A couple of weeks ago, Jette had word that there were three competing Davis projects in active development. The forerunners are a co-production between Denzel Washington and Brian Grazer based on the 2003 biography In Black and White, and a film with André Benjamin that focuses on the relationship between Davis and actress Kim Novak. Kelley would be reuniting with Hairspray producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron for his chance to play the candy man; he says that he would be playing Davis between the age of 15 to 25, which were the years that "made him Sammy Davis Jr."

Kelley is not waiting around for this role though, and has already signed with New Line for Party Up, a movie that revolves around the treasured standby of all teen comedies, the house party gone awry. And since it's all just speculation at this point, it's way too early to tell if Kelley could even handle the more dramatic aspects of Davis' life. We know that he can rock a finger wave, but first, we are going to have to wait and see who emerges victorious in the "battle of the biopics."

I'll admit that the only Don Cheadle project I had been keeping track of was the Miles Davis biopic; so it was no surprise that Cheadle's Talk To Me had flown completely under my radar. That is until I noticed the new trailer up on Yahoo! Movies. Also starring is Martin Sheen, Chiwetel Ejiofor (Inside Man) and Cedric The Entertainer -- who might be looking to redeem himself with audiences after the reception Code Name: The Cleaner received.

Directed by Kasi Lemmons, the film is the biography of Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became an Emmy winning broadcaster and social activist. Greene passed away in 1984 at the age of 53. The movie looks to be dripping with nostalgia and even manages to work in a shot of a burning flag in case you think this period comedy doesn't have a serious point to make. Luckily, Cheadle has the uncanny ability of walking away with his dignity intact no matter what the rest of the movie is like; if you don't believe me, watch Swordfish and tell me he doesn't save himself from total embarrassment, if only John Travolta had managed to do the same. Talk To Me opens July of this year.

I'll admit that the sum total of my knowledge of motor sports is from the movies -- actually three movies -- Heart Like A Wheel, Days of Thunder, and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. When The Hollywood Reporter announced that a biopic of Formula One racer Bruce McLaren was going into production, I needed to do a little investigating into the racing legend. McLaren was a native Kiwi who drove, designed, engineered, and invented some of the best F1's in the world. He overcame crippling childhood joint problems to become the youngest winner of a Formula One race, and the McLaren Mercedes Racing team continues to rack up wins 37 years after his death.

McLaren, who was killed in an auto testing accident in 1970, was posthumously inducted into both the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. Lord of The Rings producer Barrie Osborne announced this $100 million project during the A1 Grand Prix race in New Zealand over the weekend. The film will shoot on location in New Zealand, Monaco, and the U.K. later this year, and will showcase some of McLaren's original cars. Hopefully, this film will be my chance to expand my knowledge of racing beyond Will Ferrell screaming, "help me Tom Cruise!" in his underwear.

It was only just a little over a month ago when Jeffery had the news of an upcoming film on the life of rock legend Freddie Mercury. So, it shouldn't be a surprise that already rumors are flying fast and furious as to who is going to get play Mercury in the upcoming biopic.

An article in the UK newspaper The Independent * spoke with Queen guitarist Brian May about the project. May had announced that Johnny Depp might be in line for the part of Mercury. May was pretty guarded about making any promises, as he stated that "Discussions are at an early stage," with the actor. However, it seems like May and other band members are supportive of the idea of Depp in the role, saying Depp was "fantastic" and "He would be a worthy counterpart for Freddie on screen". The project is thought to be under Robert DeNiro's Tribeca Films, since DeNiro had put his own money behind the current Queen stage musical We Will Rock You, after meeting May and Queen drummer Roger Taylor at the Venice Film Festival in 1996.

Since this is all just speculation at this point, it could be a while before anyone signs on the dotted line. But, I have to admit it would be nice to see Depp on land again. If nothing else, if they decide re-enact the video for I Want To Break Free, at least we know for certain that Depp can handle walking in heels.

*Correction: The comments regarding Depp in the role originated on May's website and not in The Independent.

[via JoBlo.com]

The passing of Richard Pryor was the loss of one of the greatest comedians in history. Pryor made a huge impact on the comedy business with a blend of justified rage and heartfelt humor. Pryor's first attempt at a biopic, Jo-Jo Dancer Your Life is Calling might have raked his personal life over the coals, but a new biopic is taking a different approach, albeit at the advice of legal counsel.

Back in 2005, Mike Epps was signed to portray the comedian in a film about Pryor's life. Unfortunately, in a recent interview with VH1, Epps admitted that the production might be delayed. In the interview, Epps says that a dispute between Pryor's ex-wives over the comedian's assets had caused pre-production to shut down. The film has signed Kasi Lemmons (Eve's Bayou) to direct and the new script is being written to include information from the memoirs of Pryor's daughter Rain. Epps explained the changes by saying the new film "is coming from the perspective and eyes of the kids, Rain and Elizabeth, and so forth. So I think people are gonna get a whole other view of Richard Pryor through this story."

Luckily, an agreement has been made which should allow for the film to begin shooting later this year. So barring any more family squabbling, pic should be set for release sometime in 2007.

I guess it's not just about the musicians when it comes to the slew of biopics on the way. In the last few months, we've had word of biographies of Ernie Davis and Jesse Owens, and now Production Weekly has announced that a new film about basketball legend Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton is going into production. Although to be fair, you can't accuse writer-director Martin Guigui of jumping on a bandwagon, as he has been working on Sweetwater for almost a decade.

Clifton began his career with The New York Rens before joining the Harlem Globetrotters in 1947; by 1950 he had joined the New York Knicks. Clifton was known for exceptional ball-handling skills (which might have something to do with the fact that Clifton sported size 14 hands). At the age of 27, Clifton was the first African-American to sign a contract with the NBA. By the end of his first season he had helped take the team to its first shot at the finals.

This isn't the only project Guigui has on the way, his other film Benny Bliss and the Disciples of Greatness (2007) is a comedic story about an evangelical musician on a mission to rid the world of electronic gadgets -- which I hope for the sake of Clifton's memory, is better than it sounds. Sweetwater is set to start production this February.

[via Dark Horizons]