Two legendary movie productions….one music catalog.
News came out this week that there are two Marley movies in the works but a mini battle is brewing over the music rights. In one corner we’ve got the Weinstein Company with Rita Marley as the executive producer for an upcoming movie about Bob’s life and career. In the other is a documentary by Martin Scorsese already backed by the Marley family’s Tuff Gong Pictures.
The family had already agreed to license the musician’s hit-laden catalog for the Scorcese film—the first time the estate has granted such blanket rights—and is concerned that the Weinstein’s biopic, set to debut in late 2009, would conflict with the documentary’s release in February 2010 around Marley’s birthday.
“When I sold the film rights to my book [to the Weinsteins], the contract did not include any rights to use my husband’s music,” said Rita Marley.
C’mon Rita how in the world do you make a movie about Bob Marley’s life and career and not have any of his music?
This is all about money and I’m sure in the end that both movies will end up being made with the release dates strategically stretched out. Everybody wins…..Marley’s get their money, the move studio’s get ours and we get a Martin Scorsese Marley documentary with a bonus Rita film.
E! News article here.
Runaway Dinosaur 