So, are we looking at the next production woes saga? We’ve already been through the various dramas of “World War Z” and “Jane Got A Gun,” and now a situation is arising around the Marvin Gaye biopic “Sexual Healing.”
As Screen Daily reports, it looks like financing for the Julian Temple directed film has been on shaky ground, a situation likely not helped by the fact that Focus Features has stepped away from the movie. In fact, money issues, scheduling and location problems actually put a halt to filming one month ago, and there is still three weeks left on schedule. Crew members haven’t been fully paid at this point for their participation yet either. Ouch.
To recap: Jesse L. Martin and Brendan Gleeson star in the Matthew Broughton penned movie, based on the book “Trouble Man,” that would chronicle Gaye’s 1981 stint in Ostend, Belgium, where he recorded his biggest-selling album, Midnight Love, a comeback record of sorts that found rising above his various personal issues including drug addiction.
There’s no word yet on if or when filming will be completed, or if financing will come together to make it happen, but seeing as how a full month has already passed since cameras stopped…one wonders if this can resuscitated. With no major distributor and no A-list stars either, hustling it back to life may be difficult. Hopefully, we’ll know more soon as this is pretty great story to tell. Here’s hoping it makes it to the big screen.
