▌BIOPICS ▌Turnaround: Don Cheadle as Miles Davis (via @shadowandact)

Once the dust settles from the Iron Man 2 gig, prepare to see the Don [Cheadle] as woodwinded great, Miles Davis.

Cheadle will star and direct in the pic about the man who got Pearl Cleage readers a dash past peeved in 1990 (and forward!), but whose sound is unapologetically epic in the halls of jazz.

How does one treat a respected, revered, fundamentally and brazenly flawed legend--and not piss people off? Cheadle tells MTV to expect the "truth," but don't look for facts. Very diplomatic answer. *Nodding my head* He also advises that this is not a biopic. Mhmmmmmmm. I'm gonna be a likkle geeked for this one. He's working on the script now.

Til' then, go try to cop those Iron Man 2 tix from @WCP and check Cheadle's full interview aqui.

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▌BIOPICS ▌Will Smith says "naaahhh" to Crowe's Marvin Gaye

The round-the-way crooner, who would've been 71 last week, is the biopic subject of director Cameron Crowe.

Electronic Urban Report gabs (via Daily Variety) that Will Smith ended months of negotiations over the lead role yesterday. He will NOT mouth Sexual Healing or any other form of lyrical n' lusty-froth a la Marvin Gaye! Sorry! (Unfortunately, I keep thinking about the opening sequence to "I, Robot"...oh dear...mercy.)

While reasons for the deal's failure are unclear, USA Today says, Crowe has been trying to get this project off the ground for four years. Hm...ain't that every major Black biopic in the streets...? (*cough*Nina*sputter*cough*Simone*hackingcough*)

An interesting thing, ain't it? Big Willie, TP, Oprah, and maybe Halle-Denzel are the consummate Blacks in film to defer to if you can't get a pic off the ground. Not saying that  entirely because I think Crowe employed that tendency, because I really think he'd pull it off, but where financiers are concerned, they need a face they know will do well at the B.O. 

And in the meantime, these stories keep collecting dust, falling deeper and deeper into the recesses of collective memory...

dramatic sighs.

Marlon Wayans set to star in Richard Pryor biopic

Marlon Wayans Lands The Role of Richard Pryor via What the Flick

No. I'm not opposed. THXMCH.

The comments section over at BET is abuzz, though. Do visit the link.

After Eddie Murphy passed, Marlon Wayans became a front runner for the role. Folks--among them, Richard Pryor fans--are questioning whether his acting chops are sophisticated enough in light of 'White Chicks' style comedy.

BUT, I think it's a good look. And I think generational-ism is telling on itself.

Diversify yo' portfolio, boyeeeeeee!

I {heart} Kerry Washington and Kristin Chenoweth Does, Too

Kristin Chenoweth's Lesbian Dream May Come True

E! reports that Kerry Washington, who has also played same-gender-loving in Spike's 2004 flick 'She Hate Me', and trans in 'Life Is Hot in Cracktown' (which also featured the RZA!), will play the onscreen signif-other of biopic protagonist and soul star, Dusty Springfield.

Springfield will be played by Kristin Chenoweth ('Pushing Daisies'), a Broadway regular, FHM feature and once guest judge for American Idol (Simon hates her, like he hates most).

Read the full article over at E! And get a second take from BET's What the Flick?

the real Dusty.

Night Watch: Keke Palmer as Roxanne Shante...

While we're on the topic of documentaries and Roxanne Shante...

Keke Palmer--of 'Akeelah and the Bee' and (new-school) Nickelodeon fame, has been set to star as the legendary femcee since 2007.

Still waiting.

Rumor has it that financing is what has been slowing the presses. <*eyeroll...> Isn't it always... <*grinding teeth...>

Will definitely be keeping watch for any new developments on that front. But if anybody manages to reach a breakthrough, go speed that Nina Simone biopic up, too. Another tease that's been on the backburner for the last half of the aughts. Mary J. Blige had been named the actress-to-be in that pic for MTV FILMS, NO LESS, but something tells me that until we see some Black, Brown and green teeth behind it, we'll be waiting.