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EXCLUSIVE: With its film Bob Marley: One Love now in theaters, Paramount Footage is shifting quick on one other high-profile biopic on a preferred music group and appears to have discovered an A-list director to guide the venture. Whereas a deal isn’t achieved, sources inform Deadline that Ridley Scott is in negotiations to direct the studio’s untitled Bee Gees film. Scott will produce alongside producing accomplice Michael Pruss of Scott Free, Graham King by way of his GK Movies banner and Stacey Snider.
Paramount is distributing the movie worldwide, with Amblin and Sister having the fitting to co-finance. Barry Gibb is government producing. John Logan wrote the script.
Whereas this isn’t the everyday movie Scott is thought for, a number of components got here into play that led to the studio pursuing him, and the Oscar-nominated director agreeing to come back aboard. First, Scott not too long ago wrapped manufacturing on the sequel to his smash hit Gladiator and, based on sources, early footage has blown execs away. He’s recognized for locating his follow-up tasks shortly, and as soon as manufacturing wrapped final month the studio was fast to get the newest draft of the Bee Gees movie in entrance earlier than he discovered that subsequent film.
As for Scott, the director has a long-standing hyperlink to the legendary group going again to when he was attempting to launch his directing profession. That connection is the group’s longtime supervisor on the time Robert Stigwood, the music mogul who had been managing the group because the Nineteen Sixties and performed an enormous half in its resurgence within the ’70s through the disco period whereas on the identical time stepping into the film producing enterprise. Stigwood would put Scott on the medieval movie Fortress Accident that may star the band’s three brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice. Finally the movie by no means got here collectively (Scott would go on to direct The Duelist as an alternative), however that need to inform some form of story with the group remained, and now practically 50 years later Scott has that likelihood.
This additionally marks a reunion for Scott and Logan who labored collectively on Gladiator and Alien: Covenant in addition to with Logan and King who labored collectively on Rango, The Aviator and the upcoming Michael Jackson film.
Paramount acquired life rights to the Gibb household property in 2019, and the rights to make use of their basic songs in a film that would very properly comply with the template of the Greatest Image-nominated blockbuster Bohemian Rhapsody, as a result of the songs are so properly crafted, with exhilarating falsettos.
The Bee Gees had worldwide gross sales of greater than 220 million information, establishing them as one of many biggest-selling teams of all time. Whereas Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb first started performing collectively within the late Fifties with people and smooth rock, their recognition mushroomed after they wrote songs for Saturday Night time Fever that fueled the recognition of disco and led to one of many top-selling albums ever, incomes them 5 Grammys together with Album of the 12 months. Regardless that the hovering success made them world well-known, wealthy and an indelible a part of the ’70s zeitgeist, their place because the image of disco put them unexpectedly on their heels when there was an eventual backlash to the entire polyester vibe.
When Maurice Gibb died abruptly in January 2003 on the age of 53, the remaining brothers retired the group’s identify after 45 years of labor. They re-formed in 2009, however Robin died three years later at age 62 and that has left Barry Gibb to unfold the band’s legacy.
Up subsequent for Scott is that Gladiator sequel which is ready to bow November 22, 2024 and stars Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal. Scott Free is repped by WME.
