What happened to the Memphis movie??

[Littleshopofcarrie]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 6:58pm

I saw there was a Memphis movie in the works last year and haven't heard anything since... is it sill gonna happen?

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 7:08pm

Chad Kimball's contract with the Special Olympics prevented him from doing it, so it was scrapped.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 7:18pm

^ Jordan, I seriously love you.

[Fan2]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 7:27pm

It was off but apparently on again:

Forest Whitaker in Talks to Play Martin Luther King Jr. in Paul Greengrass' 'Memphis' (Exclusive)
Scott Rudin is producing the long-gestating drama, which is now going the indie route
Published: May 30, 2013 @ 4:10 pm
By Jeff Sneider

With a long awards season on the horizon, Oscar winner Forest Whitaker may be adding another prestige project to his plate, as he's in talks to play Martin Luther King Jr. in writer-director Paul Greengrass' drama "Memphis," an individual familiar with the long-gestating project has told TheWrap.

Now that Abu Dhabi-based Veritas Films and French financier Wild Bunch have agreed to back Greengrass' passion project, it looks like it will be the filmmaker's next movie. An individual familiar with "Memphis" tells TheWrap that Greengrass intends to shoot the movie in a "docu-style" manner similar to how he filmed "United 93."

"Memphis" was originally set up at Universal with Scott Rudin producing, but the project never came together due to several factors including financing and scheduling. Greengrass and Rudin moved on to Sony's Somali pirate drama "Captain Phillips" before they decided to make "Memphis" as an indie movie.

Story follows Dr. King's final days as he struggles to balance his personal life and the civil rights movement while he organizes what ends up being his last protest march in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was assassinated by James Earl Ray. Simultaneously, the FBI, which had been wiretapping King before his death, leads an intense manhunt for his killer.

King's family is developing their own project at DreamWorks and along with his close confidante Andrew Young, they have objected to Greengrass' intended warts-and-all portrayal of King.

Script finds Dr. King depressed about the state of both his marriage and that of war-ravaged and socially-divided America, as well the fear of being marginalized by a new generation of younger black leaders.

Whitaker, who won an Oscar for "The Last King of Scotland," next stars in Lee Daniels' drama "The Butler," which the Weinstein Company will release on August 16. TWC is also behind the Whitaker-produced "Fruitvale Station," which has earned rave reviews at both Sundance and Cannes in advance of its July 12 opening. He also co-stars alongside Christian Bale and Casey Affleck in Scott Cooper's gritty drama "Out of the Furnace," which Relativity will debut on October 4.

Whitaker is repped by WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Ziffren, Brittenham.



Memphis Updated On: 6/1/13 at 07:27 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 7:29pm

I loved all of Martin Luther King Jr.'s songs in this show!!!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 7:33pm

While all that is fascinating,and all, (and I do love me some Forest Whitaker) I'm fairly certain the OP was refering to Mephis THE MUSICAL

[Kad]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 8:38pm

I can't wait to see that timeless speech.

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Where they can listen to the beat and hear what's in your soul-
You'll never let anyone steal your rock 'n roll. Nah nah nah nah nah nah."

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 8:51pm

Screw you guys, I liked that show!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 10:20pm

The producers are trying to talk Beyonce into only playing Felicia and not Huey as well.

Beyonce was heard to say: "Damned if Jennifer Hudson didn't steal my Oscar, it's not going to happen again. Barbra played a man in a musical, Julie played a man in a musical, why can't I?"

[Playbilly]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 10:25pm

Jay Z remaking Victor/Victoria w/ Beyonce?

[sabrelady]

Posted: 6/1/13 at 10:45pm

KAD, seriously I loved that and I needed a laugh.

[Becky]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 12:41am

To answer the original question, very recently - the movie is now set to happen.

[chewy5000]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 4:38am

But is anyone going to be set to go see it?

[hak5]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 8:25am

why bother when there is a DVD of the original Broadway performance?

[darreyl102]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 8:34am

The DVD has it's faults- Chad doesn't hit the end note in Memphis Lives- Cass is no Julie Johnson...

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 10:34am

^^^One wonders how Huey got so successful being a special needs person. One wonders why Felicia falls in love with a special needs person.

We need a movie because Chad was copying David Threfall's performance of Smike in Nicholas Nickelby.

[broadway guy]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 10:42am

Why would anyone see it though? Its such a bland musical. Incredibly weak year..

[darreyl102]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 11:00am

I really agree with you- I saw the show twice on Broadway- once with Pascal and once with Kimball- didn't really care for it much. it was only when I saw the Tour that I LOVED the show- Soo much soo that I saw it two nights in a row.

[Becky]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 2:45pm

Agree darreyl102. However, I did like the Broadway production (saw Adam and an understudy Huey, and Montego and her understudy), and felt like I was seeing the show for the first time with the tour - primarily because of Bryan Fenkart. His characterization turned the show into a different experience for me. The tour cast as a whole was fantastic.

broadway guy, I guess it can be bland for those that don't have anything to take away from it (or for one of my friends who felt like she'd seen all that before). But for me, I found so much to love with the story, the time, the dancing, the style, love of the real city of Memphis, the music, etc. I grew up with stories from my dad of how music influenced him in the 50s - how powerful the radio was in the development of music genres and artists - the changing times. He was one of the guys listening to music (in theory) he shouldn't have been, and even though my grandparents were VERY conservative, they never hindered him with regards to his musical taste, and he was always appreciative of that. Aside from the personal interest in the over-all theme, I found the music extremely enjoyable, and loved the story between Huey and Felicia (more on tour). I didn't find it bland by any means. Why would anyone see it? That's why *I* would see it. Not everyone found it bland or weak.

I'm very interested in how a movie will come across - I think if it's done well, it's something that could really expand upon what's already there. I had a conversation with David Bryan about all the things he felt could be explored re: the characters, and it had me quite intrigued.

Not to mention, just when I think we've come a long way, a recent morning meeting with my 4th graders punched me in the gut when I hear a beautiful black 10 year old girl speak of playing on the school grounds after school with a white friend - and having the girl's mother call her away saying "I told you about playing with her, she has germs! Get over here!" Still stuns me. So when I watch a show like Memphis, there are connections always...

[kikki327]

Posted: 6/2/13 at 11:13pm

as much as I absolutely love Memphis, I'm not sure I want to see a movie of it, mainly because I just can't watch anyone else as Huey besides Chad.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 6/3/13 at 12:22am

Have to admit Bryan Fenkhart pretty much topped chad on tour! The tour was fresh and exciting, while the broadway production was just bland.

[Becky]

Posted: 6/3/13 at 1:35am

Yes JohnnyBroadway......Bryan Fenkart was the perfect balance of what you want Huey to be, and what he had to be. If that makes sense. Very real, natural, heartfelt performance.