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Spike Lee Signs On to Direct James Brown Biopic

Spike Lee has sparked his next joint, as the noted auteur is set to direct a biopic about soul music pioneer James Brown, who passed away due to heart failure early Christmas morning. “It’s an authorized biography done with the cooperation of Mr. Brown before his passing,” announced Nancy Kirkpatrick, spokeswoman for Paramount Pictures, the company on board to distribute the film.

Lee is reportedly reworking the script and the movie could be in production by late 2007. Brian Grazer, the producer behind the Oscar-winning A Beautiful Mind, will produce the film. “Like everyone I was surprised and saddened that James Brown died,” Grazer told Variety. “[But] having known him well, and after spending lots of time with him, and researching his life, it’s somehow not surprising that he died on Christmas Day. He was the ultimate showman, right to the end.”

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On SPIN.com:
James Brown Dies at 73
Everybody’s Talking About: Spike Lee’s Controversial Katrina Doc

On the Web:
Spike Lee at imdb.com