JIMI HENDRIX Bio Pic On The Way
August 19, 2009, 15 years ago
Michael Fleming from Variety is reporting:
With the Woodstock 40th anniversary in the spotlight this year, Legendary Pictures is mounting a feature film about Jimi Hendrix, whose perf of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was a seminal moment of the original 1969 fest.
Legendary topper Thomas Tull would produce the pic with Bill Gerber. Penning the script is Max Borenstein, who most recently wrote What Is Life Worth?, a fact-based script about attorney Kenneth Feinberg and his work on the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund.
Legendary hopes to crack the rights issues that have prevented previous Hendrix projects from getting out of the gate. The company's plan is to develop the project first, then try to win the cooperation of the estate.
There have been numerous attempts to develop a Hendrix film in recent years, with such musician-actors as LENNY KRAVITZ and OUTKAST's Andre Benjamin floated as possible stars. But no one has locked down rights with Experience Hendrix, the gatekeeper to the musician's estate, which is run by his stepsister, Janie Hendrix.
Legendary has been in loose discussions with the estate, but there is as yet no firm rights deal, which would be needed to access Hendrix's singular sound and guitar wizardry.
The project is Tull's second homage to guitar gods, after he conceived and produced It Might Get Loud, the recently released Sony Classics doc that features LED ZEPPELIN's Jimmy Page, U2's the Edge and Jack White of THE WHITE STRIPES.
