Ol' Dirty Bastard Biopic Produced By RZA Officially On Its Way

RZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard weren’t just fellow members of the Wu-Tang Clan, they were also cousins. So, it’s only appropriate RZA would be instrumental in bringing ODB’s life story to the big screen.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, a biopic about ODB is in development at Sony’s Columbia Pictures with RZA in the role of producer. Sources reportedly said the search for a director is currently underway.

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RZA Says Ol' Dirty Bastard Biopic Is Gaining Traction

Straight Outta Compton's box office success and critical success, both hard to come by simultaneously in films, has opened doors for two long awaited music biopics. One of them is the Tupac Shakur biopic All Eyez on Me, finally in production after years, which just announced who's been cast to play Faith Evans. The other is a biopic about Wu-Tang Clan's Ol' Dirty Bastard first said to have been written in 2011 according to RZA who tells Rolling Stone plans for the biopic are moving forward. 

According to RZA the biopic was written by a cousin of ODB and his, Rayshawn. "I think it's a great idea, and there has been talk about it. There are a few wheels in motion with one done by our first cousin Rayshawn; he was the young guy there watching everything that happened," RZA told Rolling Stone adding that he's seen a teaser for film calling it "the best thing that I've seen so far." "Him and ODB's wife have been talking and he has a pretty interesting script. I just saw a 12-minute teaser that he shot about a year ago and it felt pretty fucking cool," said RZA. "I watched it and was like, 'Wow, you may have something here.' He has the best thing that I've seen so far."

RZA, who has directed before, with two more films on the way, reportedly turned down the chance to direct the biopic after Rayshawn asked him. RZA did say it would be "honor" to do it and that he'd still be involved in the project:

"From the age of six, me and [ODB] used to push shopping carts around grocery stores and try to get nickels. There are very few people who know the real him as much as me. So it would be something that I would be honored to do, but there's a lot of moving parts to it. If those moving parts don't go in sync with me, I'll still be on it just to see it happen, talk to whoever's doing it and give them my interviews or whatever they need to help make this story as great as possible."

On the significance of Straight Outta Compton RZA said,

"Straight Outta Compton showed that hip-hop is a marketplace in cinema. I always believed that the art we was creating was audio-visual, and it was headed towards visual-audio. And that's why you see me in this world—my own heart drove me here—and I'm glad that a movie like that breaks out and does such numbers that it's almost undeniable. It showed that with the proper team and marketing, many of us out here who grew up on this music would love to see the inside makings of those stories."

Details about casting for the biopic and its production have not been revealed.

[via COMPLEX]

Wu-Tang Clan Members Will Play Themselves IN ODB FIlm

Announced in march... Michael K. Williams will play Ol' Dirty Bastard, but not in a traditional biopic on the late rapper's life (one has long been rumored to be coming); rather seemingly as a character in someone else's story.

The project is titled Dirty White Boy and will center on...

... the astounding rise of Jarred Weisfeld, a 22-year-old VH1-intern-turned-manager, and his misadventures with the legendary rapper leading up to the performer’s tragic death in 2004...

... said the press release.

Although EW added this about 2 weeks ago:

[The film] is based on the final years of ODB’s life and will focus on the strange personal and professional relationship between the rapper and Jarred Weisfeld, a 22-year-old VH1 production assistant who eventually became ODB's manager in the early 2000s. The film will chronicle the beleaguered rapper's well-known addictions.

So maybe the film really will be about ODB, BUT told from the POV of the then 22-year old Weisfeld?

is based on the final years of ODB’s life and will focus on the strange personal and professional relationship between the rapper and Jarred Weisfeld, a 22-year-old VH1 production assistant who eventually became ODB's manager in the early 2000s.   Watch The Video For 'Gone,' RZA's Tribute To Ol' Dirty Bastard   The film will chronicle the beleaguered rapper's well-known addictions. ODB died of a fatal overdose in 2004 at the age of 35.At the time, Weisfeld told MTV News, "He was the complete opposite of what people made him out to be. He was a teddy bear."
The project is being produced by Lars Knudsen and Jay Van Hoy - the producing team the Oscar-winning film Beginners.

To be directed by Joaquin Baca-Asay (his feature film debut), Dirty White Boy already has financing and is said to have the full support and co-operation of ODB's mother, Cherry Jones.

The last we wrote about the potential for an ODB film, RZA was the man behind the curtain; at the time, he said that ODB's estate was "kind of confused on what to do, and all the rights and all that shit, but it’s definitely been talked about. There’s also been talk about a Wu-Tang Clan movie. So we’ll see what life brings. In my opinion, I’d rather see an ODB pic than a Wu-Tang Clan pic, because Wu-Tang is still alive, and may be active for a few more years. But an ODB pic, just to really describe his life, would be good."

Later, in an interview with MTV, Michael K. WIlliams (while on the set of They Die by Dawn) reveals a number of things about the project worth knowing, like: He's doing a lot of research on ODB; he had the pleasure of meeting ODB's mother, and the talked for three hours, and she told him plenty about ODB that the public doesn't know; he's been talking to other people who knew ODB well and privately, and he's gotten lots of insight into who he was as a man and, "dare I say it, scholar;" that the film will be a straight drama piece - "no buffoonery, for lack of a better word," Williams said; and finally, that the film will cover the last two years of ODB's life, from when he was released from prison, to the day he died.

This morning, answering the question of who will be cast to play the rest of the Wu-Tang clan, since it's kind of obvious that they'd need to be represented in a movie about ODB's *active* years... in an interview with NY Daily News, Williams gave us a bit more news we could use, stating that the producers of the movie "have no desire to cast any actors as the Wu-Tang... We need all hands on deck." So I can only assume that this means we should expect to see the real RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and the other members of the crew, in the film, playing themselves obviously.

I suppose we should also assume that they have all agreed to the project...?

No confirmation of that... yet, so stay tuned.

I'm looking forward to getting our first look at Williams as ODB; might feel a little strange watching him be ODB while the rest of the Wu-Tang are themselves.

Source

Michael K. Williams Meets With Ol' Dirty Bastard's Mum For Biopic Research

 Actor Michael K. Williams has delved into research for his upcoming role as OL' DIRTY BASTARD by meeting with the tragic rapper's mother.
The Wu-Tang Clan legend, born Russell Tyrone Jones, died of a drug overdose in November 2004, aged 35, and in a bid to preserve his lasting legacy, movie bosses are making a big screen biopic called Dirty White Boy.

Williams was recently tapped to lead the cast and The Wire star reveals he's begun working with the rapper's relatives and close friends to best capture the heart and soul of Odb.
He tells Mtv News, "I am doing a lot of research on Russell. I had the pleasure of meeting his beautiful mother, Ms. Cherry. We sat down for, like, three hours, and she told me the most amazing stuff about her son and a lot of things that the public didn't know.

"I've been talking to people who know him well... people who knew him when the cameras weren't rolling. I've got a lot of insight into who he was as a human being and as a man and, dare I say it, scholar. The dude was quite smart."
And Williams admits he's finally starting to feel the pressure of playing an icon, adding, "You have to know what you're talking about. It's a lot of studying, a lot of knowledge."
The film, which will primarily centre around the last two years of Jones' life, is being produced by Jay Van Hoy and Lars Knudsen, both of Beginners fame, with a screenplay by Brent Hoff, the star's former manager.

Michael K. Williams Speaks On Getting Into Character For Ol' Dirty Bastard Biopic

Actor Michael K. Williams explains how he's preparing to play Ol' Dirty Bastard in the biopic "Dirty White Boy."
Michael K. Williams is currently filming Dirty White Boy, an Ol’ Dirty Bastard biopic where he stars as the fallen rapper. During an interview with MTV News, the “Boardwalk Empire” actor explained how he’s getting into character for the flick and why ODB was much deeper than his persona let on.
"I am doing a lot of research on Russell," he said. "I had the pleasure of meeting his beautiful mother, Ms. Cherry. We sat down for, like, three hours, and she told me the most amazing stuff about her son and a lot of things that the public didn't know. I've been talking to people who know him well ... people who knew him when the cameras wasn't rolling. I've got a lot of insight into who he was as a human being and as a man and, dare I say it, scholar. The dude was actually quite smart. You have to be able to recite mathematics and be five percent God body — you can't play with that. You have to know what you're talking about. It's a lot of studying, a lot of knowledge."
He also spoke on the film being a drama, but said that there will be touches of comedy. The flick will cover the last two years of his life up until the day that he passed away.
"It's drama, but if you know ODB, there's going to be some comedy, but we're not playing to that. It's going to be shot as a straight piece, no buffoonery, for lack of a better word," Williams said. "It's only going to cover the last two years of his life when he was released from prison to the day he died. It's just an insight into what he struggled with in the public eye."

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