Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and Entertainer Sammy Davis Jr share a laugh in Davis’ dressing room at New York’s Majestic Theatre March 4 1965.
Earlier this week, fans were happy to learn that a film was being developed in honor of Marvin Gaye‘s life. However, this is nothing new for the film industry. Over the years, Hollywood has produced films centering around Ray Charles, James Brown, Tina Turner and many others. We’ve also heard the bevy of rumors surrounding possible biopics about Langston Hughes, Richard Pryor and Whitney Houston. Today, we learned that Sammy Davis Jr. may be the next influential musician, actor and comedian to receive the biopic treatment.
If you’re unfamiliar with the life, work and legacy of Sammy Davis Jr., you may be living under a rock. During his sixty-four years of life, Sammy Davis Jr. worked with the likes of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. Davis Jr. is also an Emmy winner, Grammy winner and recipient of the NAACP Image Award in 1989. Simply put, Davis Jr. could do it all. He is one of the few people in history who earned an Emmy nomination, Grammy nomination, Golden Globe nomination and Tony nomination.
While the film is still in its infancy, Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Lionel Richie have been named as producers. The duo is currently on the hunt for a writer who is up to the task. With that being said, the producer duo has hinted that the final product will be based on Yes I Can: The Story of Sammy Davis, Jr., the 1965 memoir that Davis wrote with Jane and Burt Boyar. There is no word on when the film will begin filming or casting, but Paramount Pictures has taken a special interest in the film.
