Four members of B.B. King’s band will portray themselves in The Thrill Is Gone, an upcoming film that stars The Wire’s Wendell Pierce as the legendary bluesman.
The Thrill Is Gone — which King’s estate has specified is not an authorized biopic — tells the story of King’s friendship with drummer Michael Zanetis, also a producer on the film, from 1980 to 1990.
Four of King’s band members from that era — Walter Riley King, James “Boogaloo” Bolden, Michael Doster, and Tony Coleman — will co-star as themselves alongside Pierce’s King in the “docudrama,...
The Thrill Is Gone — which King’s estate has specified is not an authorized biopic — tells the story of King’s friendship with drummer Michael Zanetis, also a producer on the film, from 1980 to 1990.
Four of King’s band members from that era — Walter Riley King, James “Boogaloo” Bolden, Michael Doster, and Tony Coleman — will co-star as themselves alongside Pierce’s King in the “docudrama,...
- 10/29/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Four former members of B.B. King’s band — Walter Riley King, James “Boogaloo” Bolden, Michael Doster and Tony Coleman — will portray themselves in the upcoming drama “The Thrill Is On.”
Producer Michael Zanetis told Variety, “We’re honored to have these extraordinary musicians join us in our tribute to Mr. King. They traveled the world with him for decades and continue to keep his legacy alive.”
“The Thrill Is On” is a drama about King’s friendship with drummer Zanetis starring Wendell Pierce as King. The movie tells “the inspiring true story of how a chance meeting between Zanetis, a young musician, and B.B. King in 1980 led to King being the first blues artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990,” according to a statement from production.
Variety reported on Oct. 25 that an official biopic of iconic blues musician King is going into pre-production in 2021, according to Vassal Benford,...
Producer Michael Zanetis told Variety, “We’re honored to have these extraordinary musicians join us in our tribute to Mr. King. They traveled the world with him for decades and continue to keep his legacy alive.”
“The Thrill Is On” is a drama about King’s friendship with drummer Zanetis starring Wendell Pierce as King. The movie tells “the inspiring true story of how a chance meeting between Zanetis, a young musician, and B.B. King in 1980 led to King being the first blues artist to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1990,” according to a statement from production.
Variety reported on Oct. 25 that an official biopic of iconic blues musician King is going into pre-production in 2021, according to Vassal Benford,...
- 10/29/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The late, legendary blues guitarist B.B. King was so influential, it’s going to take two biopics to tell the story. King’s estate is preparing a project separate from The Thrill Is On, which is set to star Wendell Pierce, according to Variety.
“We want to be crystal clear that the film announced by Pierce is not a biopic, as there are several major players involved in the new B.B. King biopic and the estate does not want there to be any confusion as to the nature of each separate project,” Vassal Benford, chairman of King’s estate, told Variety. “One is a docudrama, and the other is the official B.B. King biopic approved by corporate management of the B.B. King estate and trust as a part of B.B. King’s legacy initiative.”
The Thrill Is On will tell the story about King’s friendship with his drummer Michael Zanetis.
“We want to be crystal clear that the film announced by Pierce is not a biopic, as there are several major players involved in the new B.B. King biopic and the estate does not want there to be any confusion as to the nature of each separate project,” Vassal Benford, chairman of King’s estate, told Variety. “One is a docudrama, and the other is the official B.B. King biopic approved by corporate management of the B.B. King estate and trust as a part of B.B. King’s legacy initiative.”
The Thrill Is On will tell the story about King’s friendship with his drummer Michael Zanetis.
- 10/26/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
An official biopic of iconic blues musician B.B. King is going into pre-production in 2021, Vassal Benford, chairman of King’s estate, tells Variety. This is a separate project from “The Thrill Is On,” which is a drama about King’s friendship with drummer Michael Zanetis starring Wendell Pierce as King.
Confusion first arose when “The Wire” and “Selma” actor Pierce announced that he would play King via Twitter on Oct. 19. “We are official. Preparation has begun on a film where I will be honored to play the great B.B. King,” Pierce wrote. This led many to assume he would be playing King in a biopic retelling the late singer-guitarist’s life story.
Pierce expanded on the situation on Oct. 22, writing: “The Estate of B.B. King has requested I clarify the film ‘The Thrill Is On’ is not a biopic in the traditional sense. It is a dramatized version...
Confusion first arose when “The Wire” and “Selma” actor Pierce announced that he would play King via Twitter on Oct. 19. “We are official. Preparation has begun on a film where I will be honored to play the great B.B. King,” Pierce wrote. This led many to assume he would be playing King in a biopic retelling the late singer-guitarist’s life story.
Pierce expanded on the situation on Oct. 22, writing: “The Estate of B.B. King has requested I clarify the film ‘The Thrill Is On’ is not a biopic in the traditional sense. It is a dramatized version...
- 10/25/2020
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Actor Wendell Pierce — best known for his work on The Wire and Treme — announced that a long-dormant biopic on blues legend B.B. King, The Thrill Is On, is back on in a series of tweets posted Monday night.
“We are official,” Pierce wrote. “Preparation has begun on a film where I will be honored to play the great, Bb King. Humbled.” He added, “I promised Bb King before he died, I will honor him and his creative genius. An American Icon.”
We are official. Preparation has begun on a film...
“We are official,” Pierce wrote. “Preparation has begun on a film where I will be honored to play the great, Bb King. Humbled.” He added, “I promised Bb King before he died, I will honor him and his creative genius. An American Icon.”
We are official. Preparation has begun on a film...
- 10/20/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
A filmmaker is suing B.B. King for allegedly interfering with his autobiographical film, B.B. King and I, about his long relationship with the blues legend and his success in helping King get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
King Size Film Production filed the lawsuit last week in California federal court and says that B.B. King has been attempting to use his trademarks and rights of publicity to interfere with the First Amendment right to tell the true story of Michael Zanetis (the "I" in B.B. King
read more...
King Size Film Production filed the lawsuit last week in California federal court and says that B.B. King has been attempting to use his trademarks and rights of publicity to interfere with the First Amendment right to tell the true story of Michael Zanetis (the "I" in B.B. King
read more...
- 4/10/2012
- by Eriq Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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