The family of soul legend Marvin Gaye is finally allowing a big-screen history of the songwriter, three decades after the musician was fatally shot by his father, according to Variety.
Called Marvin, What’s Going On?, the new documentary will center on the creation of Gaye’s seminal 1971 work What’s Going On. The new film has been publicly supported by Gaye’s three children, Nona, Marvin III, and Frankie, as well as his former wife, Janis — the first time they have endorsed such a project.
The project is being produced by the Noah Media Group and Greenlight, with Gabriel Clarke and Torquil Jones set to co-direct. The team has previously worked on a Steve McQueen documentary called Steve McQueen: The Man & Le Mans.
“We would like to express our excitement about the upcoming documentary feature film about our father and the creation of his amazing What’s Going On album,” his family said in a statement.
“We are proud that his relevance remains intact, and we look forward to being a part of this cinematic journey. Our father was complex, but we are confident that with Noah Media Group’s attention to detail and their dedication to the truth, the positive, inspirational and aspirational aspects of his life will be handled and shared with the world in a way never seen before.”
Slated to be shot in Detroit, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., What’s Going On? will show off exclusive interviews with various Motown legends, as well as some family footage which was found by Gaye’s family.
The documentary will begin production this year, and will hit theaters for the first time in 2017. For fans of the iconic songwriter who have long awaited an official look at his life — one that includes the public support of those who loved him most — it should be an interesting and compelling watch.
