He is one of the most iconic musicians of all time, with one of the most tragic stories - so it's incredible that Marvin Gaye's life story has not yet been told on the big screen.
However, that's all set to change in the near future as rapper Dr. Dre and music mogul Jimmy Iovine - best known for co-founding Interscope Records and the Beats by Dre empire - have acquired the right to the soul legend's life story.
'What's Going On' will be directed by 'Menace II Society' director Allen Hughes, and the script will be written by poet and playwright Marcus Gardley.
There have been multiple attempts to bring Gaye's story to the screen in the past, including one where Lenny Kravitz was supposed to have portrayed the soul legend before eventually dropping out.
Both Gaye's estate and Motown Records fully support Dre and Iovine's venture, and original music by Gaye - who died in 1984 at the age of 44, after being shot by his father following a physical altercation - will also feature. That means you can expect to hear songs like 'Sexual Healing', 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine', 'Let's Get It On', 'What's Going On' and more.
Warner Bros. have reportedly budgeted $80 million for the film, which is set for release in 2023.
“He is the artist’s artist, with this ethereal voice that just comes out of the heavens,” said director Allen Hughes. “There have been plenty of great artists, and then Marvin, in his own lane. When you listen, in one measure you feel like you’ve read a novel. Such a rich inner life in that voice, heavenly but riddled with pain, the agony and ecstasy at the same time.”
