The first and only authorized biopic of blues guitar legend B.B. King is in the works, and it's named after the legendary Gibson ES-355 with which he made guitar history.
King is the latest in a long line of music legends to be honored with biopics, with the likes of Queen, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and the Beatles all subject to the silver screen treatment.
The news was broken exclusively by Deadline, and production is being handled by Canton Entertainment, in partnership with Grammy-winning producer Vassal Benford and The B.B. King Music Company & Estate.
Entitled Lucille, it is set to be the first and only authorized film chronicling everything that made King a legend.
Benford, who is the Chairman of The B.B. King Music Company & Estate, will be co-producing the film on behalf of the King’s estate. The film will chart his rise from extreme poverty to electric guitar stardom, and will depict his most famed collaborations with the likes of Eric Clapton, U2, The Rolling Stones, Richie Sambora, and Carlos Santana.
It will also showcase his role in bringing his blues from the cotton fields of Mississippi to the global stage, his eternal partnership with his famed Gibson ES-355, Lucille, and the near-death experience that gave the guitar its name.
“I’ve had the privilege of working on transformative, music-driven films throughout my career – from New Jack City to Purple Rain and Kiss,” says producer Mark Canton. “But there is no greater story of triumph and aspiration than that of B.B. King. I’m humbled to help bring it to life.”
“‘Lucille is more than a biopic – it’s a tribute to every kid who ever found hope in music,” adds the film’s other producer, Dorothy Canton.
For Benford, this is a doubly personal project.
“I promised Mr. King in 2014 that we would tell his truth with the same perfection he demanded every time he held Lucille,” he reveals. “With Dorothy, Mark, Raphael [Jackson Jr., writer], and Damione [Macedon, writer], that promise is now becoming a major motion picture of the highest caliber.”
The announcement follows on from Joe Bonamassa’s forthcoming and impressively star-studded tribute album to the King, which saw Eric Clapton get involved after another guest demanded his presence.
“You only get one shot to do this correctly,” Bonamassa says of the album, due for release early next year. “And I think we nailed it.”
