#Everything We Know So Far

Although “What’s Going On” has yet to cast its star, much of the crew has come together. Deadline reported that Allen Hughes will direct and he’s obviously very excited about the project, telling the outlet, “When you listen, in one measure you feel like you’ve read a novel. Such a rich inner life in that voice, heavenly but riddled with pain, the agony and ecstasy at the same time.” 

One half of the Hughes brothers, the duo who directed “Menace II Society” and “Dead Presidents” (both of which feature Marvin Gaye songs), more recently Allen Hughes helmed the HBO documentary miniseries “The Defiant Ones.” The miniseries charted the careers of Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, both of whom are producers on “What’s Going On,” along with Andrew Lazar. Marcus Gardley, who also penned the musical iteration of “The Color Purple,” wrote the script. The movie has the approval of both the singer’s estate and Motown, and alongside Suzanne de Passe, Gaye’s widow, Jane Gaye, will be an executive producer.

Marvin Gaye is one of the most important performers in music history and it’s long past time his story was told on the big screen. The most difficult part of this will likely be finding an actor who can embody his essence. Recent music biopics like “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Rocketman” have taken on their iconic subjects with varying degrees of success, and those involved in “What’s Going On” know this will be a difficult task. Kravitz, a major fan of Gaye, told Rolling Stone he dropped out of the previous project because he “just didn’t feel right about it,” which is completely understandable. As a huge fan myself, I’ll be looking forward to seeing Marvin Gaye’s story told, especially by people who are so passionate about telling it.