Various people had approached Ziggy Marley and his family for years with ideas on how to turn the reggae icon’s life Bob Marley in a movie. But they never felt quite right, until a few years ago, when they decided to take the reins of the project.
“It was just a feeling,” Ziggy Marley said about bringing his father’s life to the screen in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “We explored it without knowing that we definitely wanted to do it, because we needed to make sure that the people we were doing it with were the right ones. People who respected what we wanted to do, the culture, the authenticity we wanted.”
This time, he said, they found the right partners. But it was a gamble for everyone: for Paramount Pictures and the other producers, such as Brad Pitt, who wanted to do right by Bob Marley’s story, his music and his message and worried about what would happen if they didn’t. For Kingsley Ben-Adir, it was about stepping into the shoes of an icon, for the family and friends who mined her memories it was the most intimate of stories. And for the director, Reinaldo Marcus Green, it was about putting it all together and making it sing.
Early signs suggest the public approved the outcome. Bob Marley, the legend It’s only been in theaters for a few days, but it’s already causing a sensation at the box office. On its opening day alone, it grossed $14 million in the United States and Canada, a record for a midweek debut on Valentine’s Day. As of Sunday, it had already earned an estimated $80 million worldwide. Although reviews have been mixed, ticket buyers responded enthusiastically, giving the film, made on a $70 million budget, the highest ratings in exit polls.
“It’s a very gratifying validation of what we set out to do,” said Mike Ireland, co-chairman of Paramount Motion Picture Group. “The audience is the final arbiter of every film and everything you put into the world. And that they respond that way? “It’s just fantastic.”
The film focuses on a specific period in Bob Marley’s life, from 1976 to 1978. During that time of political turmoil in Jamaica, the reggae legend survived an assassination attempt, produced his classic album Exodus In an 18-month exile in London, he was diagnosed with cancer and returned to Jamaica to reunite with his family and organize the famous concert One Love.
“I’m a movie guy,” said Ziggy Marley, who has won several Grammy Awards. “My selfish goal was to have a movie that had entertainment and action. I told them, ‘I don’t want a boring movie.’ And this period of time was the most active and entertaining.”
The story and script were derived from the stories of Ziggy Marley and the legend’s widow, Rita Marley, played in the film by Lashana Lynch, as well as others who knew him well. They filmed on location in the UK and Jamaica, where they worked with locals in front of and behind the camera, many having personal or at least second-hand ties to Bob Marley.
For Green, one of the biggest challenges with a film like this was getting the Jamaican Creole language right and making it feel real without watering it down. They were, he said, essentially making a foreign-language film, but without subtitles. It’s just one of the crucial ways his mostly Jamaican cast and crew added texture and legitimacy to it all.
“Elect, I would say, 98% Jamaicans,” Green said. “We also have real musicians. Create that authentic feeling. It doesn’t feel like you’re watching actors trying to play music. You have real music performed by real musicians.”
The studio and production companies relied heavily on the local government and film commission to help film in Trench Town and recreate Bob Marley’s house exactly as it was.
“You have to get the blessing of the people of Jamaica first for something like this, you know?” said Ziggy Marley. “We couldn’t do it without Jamaica.”
And everyone hopes that they have contributed to the country’s film infrastructure. It’s no surprise that the film now holds the record for the biggest opening day in Jamaican history, surpassing Black Panther.
On everyone’s mind was honoring Bob Marley, starting with the music that most audiences will come knowing and expecting, as well as delving into the private and inner life of an extraordinary figure. Ben-Adir learned to sing and play the guitar, which he did during filming under the direction of Ziggy Marley, who wanted an artistic interpretation and not an exact copy. The final film combines Ben-Adir’s voice with archival recordings.
“Kingsley did a good job,” Ziggy Marley said. “He did the work. He really studied.”
Sometimes when families and estates are involved in the biopic process, life can become diluted and perfected. But Ziggy Marley and his family came in with clear eyes about wanting to show a real person, flaws and all. And who better to lead the process and large-scale recreations of famous concerts than someone who is also an acclaimed musician in his own right?
Ziggy Marley hopes the film will make “people feel part of the family, part of the team, part of the band,” he said. “Now you’re in. You are not a fan on the outside.”
But above all, he said, it’s about the message.
“We are shedding light on the idea of the unity of humanity, of one love for people,” he said. “That’s what we’re most proud of, that we’re serving a purpose.”