By Secret Agent
OutAroad.com has learnt that Bob Marley’s family is refusing to license some of his music for an upcoming film that documents his life.
Since Friday, several international news agencies have been buzzing with information about the spat, between the renowned and respected parties involved.
The film is a big-screen version of Rita Marley’s 2004 autobiography "No Woman No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley”. She is also the film’s Executive Producer.
According to news sources, which include ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, UK Reuters, E! Online, the film, produced by the Weinstein Company, has been refused access to Bob’s music because there is a competing documentary film to be released around the same time. This one is being directed by Martin Scorsese, and is being produced by Tuff Gong Pictures, owned by the Marley family, along with Steven Bing's Shangri La production banner. Reports are that this project had already received clearance for Marley’s music.
The stories claim that the Marley family was unaware that the Weinstein project would be unveiled so soon. It’s estimated that it should be released by the last half of 2009. According to the family, this date would interfere with their film's February 2010 opening, which is timed to coincide with Marley's birthday. In the articles, which have been spreading rapidly online on major news networks, Chris Blackwell, Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley and lawyers representing the entities are all quoted. According to Rita Marley, the deal from the project which comes from her book for which the film rights were sold, did not include music as well. "When I sold the film rights to my book (for the Weinstein film) the contract did not include any rights to use my husband's music." Several lawyers are now involved in the matter, and it seems they are hurriedly meeting to sort out this situation before time runs out.
Posted on March 23, 2008 23:46
uhhmmmm...how can there be a Marley movie without Marley music? Why is this an issue at such a late stage, this should have been drafted when the rights for the movie was being sold! ...helloo....
Posted on March 25, 2008 02:57
a so Jamaicans love gwine like dem tek ppl fi idiot! dem must did know sey di ppl dem ago want 2 use his music! cuz how can u do a film bout Bob without his music! That nuh mek no sense at all!
Posted on March 27, 2008 10:54
I can see why Tuff Gong and the Marley family never support Rita movie.. i read her book thinking it would shine light on a woman who was with a wonderful man through good and bad.. and sure i thought there would be times where she seemed a bit resentful.. but what i read from Rita's book was a straight explanation of why she feels guilt about stealing him money and being a rotten ass! it was so crazy because before i read her book i never even knew there was so much drama.. she called the negative attention to herself by writing a book of bare excuses.
She is a badmind straight.