Lee Daniels has been well and truly bitten by the history bug (Continuum Arachnis, to give it its Latin name). He’s long tried to get a movie made about the Civil Rights struggles in Selma, he’s putting the finishing touches to **The Butler **about a long-serving White House staffer and he’s currently developing Martin Luther King assassin pic **Orders To Kill **with one Hughbert Arbuthnot Jackman. But even that isn’t enough, as Daniels is also in talks to direct the long-gestating Janis Joplin biopic now called Get It While You Can.
The movie about the queen of rock ‘n’ roll has its own history, having passed through the hands of several writers, directors and stars, including Catherine Hardwicke and Renee Zellweger. It’s only one of at least two competing projects that have been brewing since around 2004. The other currently has Broadway star Nina Arianda in the lead and Marthy Macy May Marlene** director Sean Durkin calling the shots. Neither should be confused with the 30 Rock, Jenna Maroney-starring unofficial biopic.
Amy Adams is the chosen Janis for Get It, and assuming the film goes ahead this time, she’ll be belting out tracks including Piece Of My Heart and Me And Bobby McGee.
Ron Terry wrote the script with his wife Theresa Kounin-Terry and the producers have rounded up independent financing for the film. Focus Features are apparently considering snatching distribution, but that’s still not locked in.
If Daniels does sign on, he should be cranking the cameras early next year. His latest, pulpy thriller The Paperboy, should land on our cine-mats next year.