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In a new interview with The Onion in which he discusses everything from Dawn of the Dead to sperm cells, the RZA let it be known that a biopic on Ol’ Dirty Bastard, the late id of the Wu-Tang Clan, is in early discussion stages. The highlight of Funny People also updated on his hands-on role on The Last Dragon remake and his directorial debut, the kung-fu flick The Man With the Iron Fist, under the tutelage of his pal Eli Roth. Supremely good stuff…

The life of Dirty, cousin to both RZA and GZA, is ripe for the telling, as the rapper crafted several Rotten Apple anthems like “Brooklyn Zoo” and “Got Your Money,” fathered numerous children, made food stamps mainstream, and did the Rick James thing before Dave Chappelle. Here’s RZA

“We have talked about it. His estate is pretty confused, like any estate is in our country. The estate is kind of confused on what to do, and all the rights and all that shit, but it’s definitely been talked about. There’s also been talk about a Wu-Tang Clan movie. So we’ll see what life brings. In my opinion, I’d rather see an ODB pic than a Wu-Tang Clan pic. But an ODB pic, just to really describe his life, would be good. Right now, there is a documentary that’s done that’s pretty good. It ain’t a knock out of the park, but it’s pretty good, it gives a nice piece of him. Then you start with that, and we can build more awareness about his life, and build more interest in people seeing a movie about it.”

But who the hell can play Dirt McGirt? The Playlist seems to think that Bed-Stuy’s Chris Rock could do it justice—CB4 is evidence enough—and the chances of getting Chappelle are as likely as Cappadonna’s new album going double-platinum. I think we all know the obvious choice: motherfucking Tracy Morgan. Not only can he go hefty, unlike string beans Rock and Chappelle, but his talk-show antics, filthy stand-up, unwieldy genius, and love of women are nearly on ODB’s legendary levs.

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Regarding Iron Fist, RZA says he’s searching for funding alongside Roth and adds that the script has been polished. He sounds incredibly optimistic about the project, expressing that he hopes to do with film what the Clad did for music. If done successfully, he says that it will be a “classic” and goes enigmatic…

It’s striving to bring the originality and excitement that I brought to hip-hop to the silver screen. I don’t want to give the movie away. You know, it’s action, it’s a certain genre, but I think I’ve got a certain twist of originality and a certain way of filming, a certain way of seeing scenes, that only a few people in Hollywood see.

More surprising is how dedicated he sounds in bringing The Last Dragon remake to the big screen with Sam Jackson. He seems to think that Bruce Lee-style kung-fu isn’t contemporary enough, and recently had the script twerked to update the urban and historical aspects…

The Last Dragon, Bruce Lee brought the integrity to it. So what can we bring to it in our day? I sent the writer a lot of books on things that are happening now in the martial-art world, a few true stories that he may not have known about that happened in the 1940s and ’50s, right before Bruce Lee migrated to America and brought some secrets through some other people that were doing a few secret things in the martial-art world, and their books have been published in the last 20 years. So I just gave him a lot of advice like that.

Nathan Rabin hit this interview out of the park, and there’s so much more, including RZA’s love of the Farrelly Bros and his role in Zach Galifianakis’s Due Date. I chatted with him a few years ago while interviewing Ghostface at the Source Awards, and he’s easily one of the smartest guys working in music and entertainment. Definitely check it out.

Comments

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  • Yoji
    I hope Iron Fist gets funding because im very interested in seeing it and what Rza can do; he's just too cool of a dude. Also, Tracy Morgan is a good pick for ODB, can't really think of anyone else who could play him at the moment.
  • edward
    haha, is that him with harmony korine?
    damn he's cool.
  • mace
    thats Old Dirty Bastard

    heres a video of harmony korine talking about how he met old dity bastard

    watch?v=tFf-e9J7pwM
  • mace
    RZA is the cool guy Wu-Tang Clan For Life. to bad Hip Hop has fallen down big time with rappers like Lil Wayne,Soulja Boy, etc.
  • GeneralError
    Takes more than an eye to direct a movie, I'm skeptical of RZAs skills in moving picture. But then again, anyone can direct a movie for hollywood. Look at brett ratner, it's everyone else who makes it happen -the director doesn't even need to be present.
  • filmkid
    or even McG
  • Dr_Gonzo
    RZA is a fucking legend.
  • i would actually prefer to see a real actor cast to play Dirt. i don't understand why you would cast a comedian. i think odb was dead serious most of the time, just very eccentric. i hope they get an actual actor, and let the laughs come from the situations, not from making it a shitty slapstick movie...
  • Sidewalkgod
    Most comedians make the better serious actors because they understand timing. Look at Robin Williams and Tom Hanks. If you went into a time machine and told everyone Mork and The guy from Bosom Buddies would be A-List Award winning actors, you would have gotten the same response you just gave
  • yeah. when it works, it works great... but i would not say it's a given. i think the talk of casting comedians comes from the assumption that "odb is so funny so let's cast a comedian" not "comedians make such great actors"... that misses a lot about odb that his fans would want to see in a biopic.

    anyways, i'll be happy as long as the movie is good. but if it was my choice, i would try to make the best movie possible, not just the funniest movie possible... that means great director and great cast.

    i wouldn't rule out tracy morgan (sorry chris, you're not right for it at all), but he would have to prove he could do the serious stuff. that means competing for the role with actors.
  • babyjaypan
    damn i am really stoked for this. especially man with the iron fist. an odb biopic would be crazy though aha
  • speech
    "Wu-Tang is for the children!"
  • oh the humanity
    Was RZA's Bobby Digital movie ever released/leaked? If so, did it actually turn out to be feature length?
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