He has his TV empire bubbling away with Empire – no pun intended and nothing to do with us, despite the occasional twitter message that arrives believing the opposite – and Star, and Lee Daniels has set his sights on a new, musically driven film. He's in talks to direct a biopic of singing legend Billie Holiday.
Holiday, also known as “Lady Day,” was a legendary jazz singer whose career spanned three decades before her passing in 1959. Her iconic performing style has influenced and inspired artists and jazz musicians for years to come. She's already been the subject of one screen biopic, with 1972's effort starring Diana Ross.
War For The Planet Of The Apes co-writer Mark Bomback has been developing this fresh version for a while, and he's still attached as a producer, working with Daniels to nudge it along. Suzan-Lori Parks, who has won the Pulitzer Prize for her stage work, is writing the script.
R&B singer Andra Day is the top choice to play Holiday this time, and Variety reports that rising star Lakeith Stanfield is wanted as the main male character, but neither have made a deal yet.
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