When Jess L. Martin left his long-running role on TV's Law and Order, it was to work on other projects including the biopic of Marvin Gaye that he was producing with the Soprano's James Gandolfini and hoped to star.
Martin had a career on Broadway prior to Law & Order, most notably in the original cast of Rent (he also appeared in the movie) so playing and performing as Gaye was well within his wheelhouse, but there have been a myriad of problems in bringing the movie to the screen including getting permission to use Gaye's music.
In February of this year, director Julian Temple came in to take over the production from Cameron Crowe and F. Gary Grey, but Martin told the World Entertainment News Network that he has doubts about the future of the film. "I just sort of threw that one up to the universe and said, 'If it's meant to be, it'll be', but it seems impossible to put together, it really does. It just hasn't happened."
Martin says that they aren't the only ones having trouble with the Gaye estate. There are four or five other films in development on Gaye that are having the same problem. "I don't know what it is, but we're gonna have to change tactics and do it on stage, or something like that. That would actually be a great idea! So we'll see, we'll see."
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