Bob Marley may soon be jammin' on the big screen.
The Weinstein Company has sealed a deal to develop, produce and distribute the first-ever biopic of the late reggae legend after snagging the rights to No Woman No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley, a book by Marley's widow, Rita Marley.
Published by Hyperion in 2004, the tome offers an intimate account of the Marleys' oft-tumultuous marriage and the Jamaican music star's rise from the streets of Kingston's Trenchtown to stirring it up as one of the 20th century's most acclaimed singer-songwriters before his untimely death from cancer at the age of 36.
Rita Marley also opens up about the bad times, including the numerous separations and affairs that plagued the pair as well as the politically-motivated 1976 assassination attempt on her husband's life and the injured Marley's insistence to go ahead with a performance at a free concert just days later.
"I could not be more excited about this film and about bringing audiences around the world a true look into the delicate and dynamic lives of Rita and Bob Marley," TWC co-head Harvey Weinstein said in a statement. "Bob Marley was a prolific individual who has influenced and impacted the world with engaging messages he expressed through his moving and socially observant music."
Added Rita Marley: "Our lives began in a government yard in Trenchtown with hopes of reaching the world through music and through dreams. I wrote my book to tell my story—of the dreams we shared and those days we spent living and believing in our hope. I saw it and now we get to tell it through our movie."
Marley's missus will also serve as executive producer on the film, which is being produced by Rudy Langlais (The Hurricane) from a script by Lizzie Borden.
This isn't the first attempt at telling Marley's life story.
Ron Shelton, the man behind such sports-themed flicks as Bull Durham and White Men Can't Jump, was initially hired to adapt the book and direct but eventually dropped out. Helmer George Armitage took over for him only to do the same.
There's also Martin Scorsese's recently announced documentary on the music icon, which his son, Ziggy Marley, is coproducing. They plan to release the film on what would have been Marley's 65th birthday, Feb. 6, 2010.
No word on casting yet for the biopic, but several of Marley's children, including Rohan and Stephen Marley, have been mentioned in the role of their father. If all goes according to plan, the biopic will start shooting early next year and hit theaters by late 2009.