The story of rags to riches has been told many times throughout the history of the American Dream, but never quite like this. Rejoined by some of the cast members from his movie “The Help,” director Tate Taylor, a Mississippi native, is bringing the story of the Godfather of Soul to life on the silver screen. The movie is to be titled “Get On Up,” starring Chadwick Boseman, the star from “42,” as James Brown, the rhythm and blues legend himself. Filming begins this Monday in Natchez.
Although the movie will show scenes from far-off areas such as Vietnam and Paris, Taylor insists that every scene will be shot in the beautiful state of Mississippi. Even more surprisingly, James Brown was not a Mississippi native, having been born in South Carolina and raised in Georgia.
“Mississippi provides a similar look because it’s on the same lines of latitude,” Taylor said when asked about his choice in filming location.
A homegrown Mississippi boy himself, Taylor wants to give back to his home state as much as he can. Raising awareness of how Southern Mississippi really is through his movies is the way he feels he can accomplish this.
“Get on Up” is a biopic film on James Brown with plans to cover his life from about the age of 5 to the year 1993. Tate Taylor refused to give details on exactly which areas of Brown’s life the film will depict.
“You have to buy a ticket and come see it,” he said.
And he’s right if the cast members are anything to judge by. “Get on Up” includes Chadwick Boseman as James Brown, as previously stated, but more stars are lending their talents to tell this tale. Viola Davis, who starred in Taylor’s previous award-winning nominee, “The Help,” will play Susie Brown, the mother of the R&B sensation, and Jill Scott, a Grammy Award-winning singer, will portray Brown’s second wife, Deidre “Deedee” Jenkins. The all-star cast also includes Dan Aykroyd, known for his roles in “Ghostbusters” and “Saturday Night Live,” who will play Ben Bart, Brown’s agent.
When asked about casting, Taylor said, “I tend to go toward relative unknowns.”
Hopefully, Boseman is the right relative unknown because, as stated by the director himself, James Brown’s shoes are tough to fill.
The film will be co-produced by Mick Jagger, lead vocalist and founding member of legendary rock band The Rolling Stones, who took pages from Brown’s book, and Brian Grazer.
“James Brown, really, was the first real dancer that broke the ground of how people move,” Taylor said. “And Mick Jagger has complimented that and tipped his hat to that forever.”
“Get On Up” is scheduled for release in October 2014. Be on the lookout, Mississippi, for Tate Taylor and Chadwick Boseman as the camera starts rolling and James Brown comes back to life.
— Ashton Dawes
