It’s time to break out the funk. Known for directing “Chicago,” “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn” parts one and two, and “Beauty and the Beast,” filmmaker Bill Condon also “Dreamgirls,” which earned Eddie Murphy an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Favored to win, Murphy did not take home the Academy statue, but he apparently has not forgotten Condon. The two will team up again for an untitled biopic of George Clinton, the legendary funk musician, artist, producer, and founder of the seminal group Parliament-Funkadelic.
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According to Deadline, the script is being Virgil Williams, known for penning Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” and co-writing the upcoming Netflix film “The Piano Lesson,” updating a draft written by Max Werner. The project was initiated by producer Catherine Davis, a lifelong fan of George Clinton, who brought the idea to Murphy.
The film will be based on George Clinton’s 2017 memoir, “Brothas Be, Yo Like George, Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard On You?” Clinton’s wildly creative musical movement, spawned mainly through the two bands Parliament and Funkadelic—launched in a big way in the 1970s, creating a funk/soul/R&B mix with psychedelia and other drug-influenced notions. Parliament and Funkadelic are credited as being highly influential, inspiring the likes of Prince, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and a significant segment of the burgeoning 1980s and ’90s hip hop scenes that were constantly sampling the band, like Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, and Dr. Dre (the entire early 90s Cali-West Coast hip hop scene was deeply indebted to Clinton’s sound).
Clinton’s bands also experienced a renaissance period in the mid-’90s when they were invited to the 1995 Lollapalooza tour, which featured Beastie Boys and Smashing Pumpkins. Clinton’s memoir has been described as the “story of a beloved global icon who dedicated himself to spreading the gospel of funk music.”
Clinton was also known for his flamboyant and outlandish stage presence. His bands often used space and “mothership” themes in their extravagant concerts and performances.
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The film will be produced for Amazon MGM Studios, but no shoot date or release time frame has been made yet. Perhaps when more casting is announced, we’ll know when the project is really starting to take off.
