Bob Marley: One Love Footage Reaction: Not Just Another Musician Biopic [CinemaCon 2023]
Music biopics are notoriously tough to pull off, and that goes double for musicians who died tragically young, but the team behind the upcoming Bob Marley biopic "Bob Marley One Love" have given it their all, and the results look pretty impressive. "Peaky Blinders" star Kingsley Ben-Adir stars as Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, the Jamaican reggae singer, Rastafarian, and political activist who rocketed to global fame before dying from cancer at the age of 36. Marley has become an emblem of Jamaican culture and reggae music, forever leaving his imprint on international pop culture, and now we're going to get to see his story told dramatically on the big screen.
At CinemaCon in Las Vegas, attended by /Film's Ben Pearson, Bob's son Ziggy Marley took to the stage to introduce new footage from the film, which was directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green ("King Richard") based on a screenplay by "King Richard" scribe Zach Baylin. "King Richard" was appreciated by critics and audiences alike and was nominated for several Academy Awards, so it's entirely possible that "Bob Marley One Love" could be an awards contender as well. With Ziggy Marley and fellow surviving Marley family members Rita Marley and Cedella Marley also on board as producers, the film will hopefully be authentic to the singer's life.
Behind the music
Ziggy Marley introduced the footage, which starts with a gigantic concert with thousands of people in the crowd, and Bob Marley on stage. He says he wants to start from the beginning, and says that "reggae is people music." Next we see him in the recording studio, with Lashana Lynch as one of his background singers, Rita, who will go on to be his wife. These sweet musical moments are punctured by violence and Marley making some mad moves, like sneaking a whole bunch of cannabis across international borders, earning him a "you brought all that ganja through customs? Are you crazy?"
Soon it's mayhem, with people breaking into homes and shooting, images of bullet holes lingering in the walls, and more. The film will clearly have some things to say about Jamaica and Marley's political leanings, as he explains that "my life is not important to me. My life is for the people."
The colorful, vibrant film matches the intensity of Marley's music and his life, with Kingsley completely melting into the role of Marley and Lynch really holding her own in big, powerful scenes. Just like "King Richard," this could be a real Oscar contender, and you can guarantee this soundtrack is going to be one for the ages.
"Bob Marley One Love" is due to release in theaters on January 12, 2024.