The Miles Davis Movie: Herbie Hancock To Score Miles Davis Biopic

Directly below this post we noted a recent interview that Erin Davis (Miles’ son) and Vince Wilburn Jr. (Miles’ nephew) did with YRB Magazine; Wilburn Jr. noted that a new writer, Steven Vegelman, is collaborating with Don Cheadle on an updated draft of the script.

Big news for followers (me) of the Miles Davis Biopic.

But in the very same interview, Wilburn Jr. also points out that Herbie Hancock is planning to score the movie. Wow. That’s kind of big news, in my opinion.

Here’s Wilburn Jr.’s exact quote: Yeah, Herbie Hancock’s going to score it and Don Cheadle’s directing and starring.

We’ve long known about Cheadle, but Hancock definitely adds some spice to the project.

((This post also appears on Miles Davis Online)

The Miles Davis Movie: New Screenwriter Working With Don Cheadle

Although the Oscar-nominated screenwriting and producing duo Chris Wilkinson and Stephen J. Rivele are still listed on IMDB as part of the Untitled Miles Davis Biopic, Erin Davis (Davis’ son) and Vince Wilburn Jr. (Davis’ nephew), in a recent interview with YRB Magazine, reveals that a new writer, Steven Vegelman, is collaborating with Don Cheadle on a new draft of the script.

Said Wilburn Jr.:

We’re in the process of OK’ing the script with a new writer. Don didn’t like the other writer that was attached to the movie, so there’s a new writer named Steven Vegelman that Don’s writing with. Once is the script is OK’d by the family, then we go into production.

To say that I’m delighted to finally stumble across some ‘news’ about the project is an understatement. I still think we’re looking at 2011, but at least Cheadle and Co. are still firmly involved in pushing this cinematic endeavor forward.

(This post also appears on Miles Davis Online)

Hey, What’s Don Cheadle Doing?*

Variety: Brendan Gleeson is teaming up with Don Cheadle to star in helmer John Michael McDonagh’s “The Guard.” Pic follows an unorthodox Irish policeman who joins forces with a strait-laced FBI agent to take on an international drug smuggling gang in Ireland.

* when he’s not working on the Miles Davis Biopic

Don Cheadle Inks TV Deal With NBC; ‘Miles Davis’ The TV series Sounds Like A Great Idea!

According to Variety, Crescendo, the production company Cheadle launched with former managers Kay Liberman and Lenore Zerman, has sealed a first-look TV deal at NBC.

Seriously – a TV series based on the life and times of Miles Davis? How is that not appointment television? A mini-series might not be too terrible either.

In truth, I don’t think the deal means Cheadle is going to start acting on TV (although he was awesome in a guest spot on “ER” and has appeared on a bunch of series in the past), but at least it’s nice to know someone with his talent will be developing projects for the little screen.

Today In Miles Davis Movie News…

* seriously. nothing.

Hard Road For Biopics

While the name ‘Miles Davis’ doesn’t come up in Jay A. Fernandez’s Hollywood Reporter item about the pitfalls of trying to produce a biopic, his points are still well taken.

There are at least three dozen biopics lining the benches of major studios, though not all are actively being developed. Those swelling ranks might be a function of our 21st century addiction to celebrity, but just as few finished products will make it onto a screen as 30 or 50 years ago. Musicians remain a popular target because of the built-in ancillary boost from their soundtracks.

It’s all just too depressing.

Today In Miles Davis Movie News…

Thankfully Ovation TV aired The Miles Davis Story a few times last week. It’s definitely a documentary worth seeing whether you know nothing or everything about Miles Davis. Ian Carr is great. The old footage, and focus on the early years, is really good. It’s not a perfect doc on the life of Miles Davis, but we’ll take what we can get.

I still contend that if this movie never makes it Ken Burns should do a 5-part series for PBS.

There is The Miles Davis Documentary, directed by Miles Davis biopic screenwriter Christopher Wilkinson, but we have no idea when it’s debuting and on what channel – though cable (HBO) makes the most sense.

As for poker superstar Don Cheadle, well, there are 6 projects listed as In Development via imdb – Untitled Miles Davis Biopic is one of them. It has a 2011 date with it, so perhaps all my carrying on about no news is silly …because it’s only 2009!

We shall see.

The Miles Davis Movie Blog Celebrates One-Year Anniversary; Actual Miles Davis Movie Nowhere To Be Found

On June 17th 2008 I wrote a quick post about the official Miles Davis website and how I thought it could be much better. The original idea for this wordpress Blog was to be like what you are seeing now over at Miles Davis Online – basically a hub for All Things Miles Davis.

But then I decided to embark on chronicling every minute detail about the Miles Davis Biopic, a project with a long and frustrating history of trying to get produced for the silver screen.

One year later I could not be happier that I took on the endeavor.

Different from say tracking the news and opinions about a film you know is in production and will eventually go through the usual casting-shooting-marketing-hype gauntlet prior to release, following the Miles Davis Movie has been more difficult because, well, there’s really not been a lot of news.

A few quotes from Cheadle here, a comment from one of the producers there, but essentially the project, as far as I know, is on a slow burn. Yep, Don Cheadle is still on board to star and direct, and a script is out there somewhere, but finding a steady stream of news to post is problematic.

So, like Miles Davis himself, we improvised. And out of that is where I have had the most fun so far.

There have been posts upon posts about what the movie poster should look like; who should be cast to play important roles; when the movie should open; what the social media strategy might be; what songs must be featured; what scenes have to be included in the movie; is it better off as an HBO miniseries; what are the expectations…

You get the picture.

In a sense we’ve explored a movie where this isn’t one – yet.

But that’s been part of the great fun. People are generally interested in this project. It’s a movie most folks believe should be made, a story that has all the makings of a phenomenal cinema experience. Does it have the broad, commercial appeal of “Dark Knight?” No, but if you like music biopics like “Ray,” “Amadeus” and “Walk the Line,” (among many other good ones) then a movie about jazz legend Miles Davis fits the bill.

The comments, opinions and thoughts about everything and anything related to the Miles Davis Biopic have been terrific to read, and I truly appreciate everyone who has chimed in over the past year.

If you follow the Blog you probably started to see more non-movie content about Miles Davis, which is why I finally launched Miles Davis Online. But even though I’m happy about the new website, I remain faithfully committed to tracking the Miles Davis Movie until the day I am seated in a movie theatre watching the damn thing on screen.

Between jumbo, Hollywood blockbusters and a poker addiction hobby taking up all of Don Cheadle’s time, I don’t know how long it’s going to take for the Miles Davis Movie to get revved up in front of cameras, but we’ll get there.

To borrow and badly manipulate one of my favorite lines of dialogue from Apocalypse Now, as delivered by Robert Duvall as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore:

“Someday this Miles Davis movie is gonna get made …”

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by the Miles Davis Movie Blog this past year to say hello, or just share thoughts about the biopic. I am very appreciative of the support and kind words.

We covered a lot of ground in Year 1, and believe me I have plenty more to say about what the movie poster should look like! But here’s hoping in year two we get lots of good news about the Miles Davis Movie.

Thanks!

Sincerely,
Jeffrey D. Hyatt

Today In Miles Davis Movie News…

The Miles Davis Movie: A Cannes Premier One Day?

Last year I wondered whether the Miles Davis Biopic will/should premier at Cannes. It’s Festival de Cannes once again, so I thought I’d revisit the topic. Actually, I’m watching this YouTube clip of the Inglorious Basterds press conference, via Hollywood-Elsewhere, and thinking how nice it would be to see Don Cheadle surrounded by the cast of the Miles Davis Biopic after a screening. Oh, the joy of it all. I can’t imagine a biopic about the jazz legend debuting in France not being a big deal, especially in France.