Lionel Richie to produce Sammy Davis Jr. biopic
The soul star has won the rights to make the movie after years of legal wrangling
Lionel Richie is to lead the production on a new biopic, portraying the extraordinary life of musician and entertainer Sammy Davis Jr.
Richie's team, including Lorenzo Di Bonaventura and Mike Menchel have spent years acquiring the legal right to transform Davis's 1965 memoir "Yes I Can, The Story of Sammy" into a movie. They intend to cover the singer's whole life, from childhood in Harlem, through World War II (where he sang and danced to entertain fellow troops) and into his most infamous days with The Rat Pack. Race issues form an integral part of the story - Davis stood up against segregation in showbusiness but took a lot of flack from both sides. He died in 1990.
Richie told Hollywood's Deadline news site: “It’s an honor for me to bring the life of one of my idols and friends to the screen. I’m so grateful to be working closely with the Davis family on this and couldn’t be happier to be moving forward on this passion project.”