EXCLUSIVE: Live Nation Productions has tapped Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor (Nickel Boys) to pen a feature centered on “Godmother of Rock and Roll” Sister Rosetta Tharpe, with rock legend Mick Jagger producing.
Hailing from Tribeca Studios, Jagged Films, and Inaudible Productions, the project has the participation of Tharpe’s estate, which has granted rights to her music catalogue. In the making of the film, the producers will also draw on Gayle Wald’s definitive biography Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, to which they’ve secured exclusive rights.
Rising to fame in the ’30s and ’40s, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a trailblazing gospel guitarist and singer whose fearless transgressions of musical boundaries laid the foundation for rock and roll. An artist who broke barriers as a Black woman in music, she influenced countless legends with her music — among them, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, and Little Richard.
Tharpe’s contributions to music were in some respects overlooked during her lifetime, even as she was dubbed the Godmother of Rock and Roll. She died in 1973 and was only inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame posthumously in 2018.
In addition to the scripted feature on Tharpe, a companion documentary, featuring access to her musical catalogue, is currently in the works. That film will explore Tharpe’s legacy through interviews with friends, collaborators, music scholars, and protégés, offering access to Shout, Sister, Shout! author Wald’s exclusive recordings with gospel singer Marie Knight, Tharpe’s closest friend and collaborator.
Jagger and Victoria Pearman will produce for Jagged Films (Get On Up, Vinyl), alongside Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh for Tribeca Studios (The Irishman, When They See Us), Peter Afterman for Inaudible Productions (The Makings of Curtis Mayfield, James Brown: Say It Loud) and Michael Rapino and Ryan Kroft for Live Nation Productions (A Star Is Born, Moonage Daydream). Wald will exec produce.
Ellis-Taylor comes to the project after collaborating with Tribeca Productions on the Emmy-winning Netflix miniseries When They See Us, and working with Jagged Films on Uni’s Get On Up, which starred Chadwick Boseman as funk legend James Brown.
“With six guitar strings and an amplifier as a battering ram, Sister Rosetta Tharpe knocked down the Jericho walls of convention and respectability,” she observed in a statement to Deadline. “I’m thrilled to partner with Tribeca, Jagged Films and Inaudible Films to usher, Sister Rosetta, a queer woman shaped in the pews of the BlackSouth, to the screen.”
Jagger said he’s “so thrilled to be a part in telling the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe who was a trailblazing singer and electrifying guitarist, noting that she “reshaped music history and influenced countless artists.”
Tribeca’s Rosenthal said the company is “proud to champion the bold storytelling of Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor to bring this enigmatic icon’s story to light,” with Live Nation Productions’ Kroft adding, “Bringing to life Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s story is a perfect example of the projects Live Nation Productions does best, and partnering with this incredible team will make the film second to none.”
Oscar-nominated for her supporting role in tennis family biopic King Richard, Ellis-Taylor has most recently been seen starring in projects like RaMell Ross’s drama Nickel Boys, which was likewise recognized by the Academy, and Titus Kaphar’s acclaimed indie Exhibiting Forgiveness opposite André Holland. Upcoming, she has indies Lucky Strike and Liz Here Now, as well as the limited series Lucky for Apple.
Rolling Stones frontman Jagger has been quite active on the film front of late, only recently signing on to produce Miles & Juliette, a film exploring the romantic relationship between jazz legend Miles Davis and French actress Juliette Gréco. The film, directed by Bill Pohlad, launched sales at Cannes via Goodfellas earlier this month.
Currently in theaters with The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow, Live Nation Productions’ upcoming slate at the moment also includes documentaries including Billy Idol Should Be Dead, Becky G’s Rebbeca, Ty Dolla $ign’s Still Free TC, and scripted feature K-Pops from Anderson .Paak.
Ellis-Taylor is repped by CAA and TMT Entertainment Group; Jagger by CAA and Kleinberg Lange Cuddy & Carlo.
The post Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Mick Jagger Teaming On Biopic Of Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Godmother Of Rock And Roll, For Live Nation Productions appeared first on Deadline.
