Paul Greengrass May Direct Legendary's Long-Brewing Jimi Hendrix Biopic

I wouldn't blame you if you see a headline about a Jimi Hendrix movie and wonder if there have already been several. In fact, a couple have wound through development for years, but the only one to really make it through to theaters was Jimi: All Is By My Side, the "early years" film starring Andrew Benjamin (in a good performance) as Hendrix.

One of the films that never was had Legendary Entertainment as its prime motivator, with Paul Greengrass set to direct. But Legendary couldn't get the rights to Hendrix's music, and without the participation of the estate Legendary decided not to make the film. Now, years later, a rights package is in place that gives Legendary use of all of Hendrix's best-known songs, and so the film is back on, with Greengrass once again looking like the director.

Deadline reports that Legendary and the Experience Hendrix estate have made a deal, and the key factor is the green light to use the artist's songs. All Is By My Side was a decent film, and it worked around an inability to use Hendrix music as well as possible, but let's face it: audiences will respond better to a film about Hendrix that features his own music.Scott Silver, who wrote 8 Mile and The Fighter, is set to script. We don't know who might star. Anthony Mackie was once linked to this film, but he's pretty busy with Marvel at this point. Greengrass, however, has that new Bourne film to do, and it looks like that will shoot before this does. So there's some time for Mackie to be freed up.

Greengrass is just in talks to direct at this point; a deal isn't fully set. In addition to Legendary's Thomas Tull, the film's producers will include Jon Jashni, Janie Hendrix, John McDermott, and Peter Afterman, with Jillian Share and Josh Bratman exec producing.