Ky-Mani Marley says he is ready to take on his dream role of playing his father in the upcoming Bob Marley biopic.
Fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the upcoming Bob Marley film. Since the biopic was announced back in March, the big question has remained who will play the legendary singer. One of Marley’s sons, Ky-Mani Marley, who is very familiar with film production, believes that he is the best man for the role. The movie was officially announced by Paramount, and after a carefully monitored process, Reinaldo Marcus Green was selected as the film director.
Green has been enjoying rave reviews since the release of King Richard, which he directed. That biopic is based on Richard Williams, father of tennis greats Venus and Serena Williams, starring Will Smith.
To date, no one has been confirmed for the lead role of Marley’s biopic. The Marley legacy has been carefully preserved by his offspring, and there’s no doubt that they will want this movie to be the best possible representation of the reggae legend’s life. Ky-Mani Marley spoke with the Observer, where he stated that securing such a role would be a dream role.
“It would be a joy an’ a pleasure,” he added.
Ky-Mani is well known for his involvement in movie making and revealed during the interview that he was putting the finishing touches on his latest offering, Vendetta. That movie is being shot in Miami. He plays a character in the movie called Ice. He also co-directed it along with Antoine Smith, who wrote the screenplay.
The Marleys definitely would not have let the biopic happen without their stamp of approval and have remained involved in various aspects of production. Ziggy and Cedella Marley, as well as Rita Marley, are confirmed producers for the Marley biopic.
The movie is in the early days of development, and very little news has been leaked. There are currently no details about the budget, release date, or even who the cast members being considered are.
“Di authenticity, di whole energy, di vibe, everything. Who better to play him than me?” Ky-Mani Marley explained more about why he believes that he would be best for the role. One consideration might be that he is already an established actor even though he is currently 45-years-old which is more than ten years over his father’s age at his time of death. Bob Marley died at 36-years-old in 1981, but there are many ways to get around that with modern movie techniques.
He also made references to his cult favorite, Shottas, which is still an iconic Jamaican movie.
“Shottas surprise everyone. No one on dat set could imagine that Shottas would be what it is today,” he said. “It’s hard to believe Shottas was done almost 20 years ago because literally every day someone mentions Shottas to me,” he added.
The “One Time” singer would fit some of the criteria of the casting call, issued in July. Some of the requirements were that a person had to be Jamaican, male, of Black/Mixed race, and speak Jamaican patois. However, he doesn’t meet the other requirement of being in your thirties.
Whoever is eventually selected for the role will quickly understand how serious this production is to the Marleys. Something that Ziggy emphasized when they announced the biopic.
“It’s an incredible responsibility that we take on with Reinaldo and the team at Paramount to tell the story of our father in a way that truly honours him and will also entertain, enlighten, uplift and inspire his fans and audiences around the world. It’s like opening a window that has never been open before,” he said.
