Martin Scorsese is to be replaced by Jonathan Demme as director for a Bob Marley documentary.
The authorised film about the reggae legend is set for a February 6th, 2010 release to honour the 65th anniversary of Marley's birth.
But Scorsese, who had planned to follow his recent Rolling Stones documentary Shine A Light with the Marley movie, has been forced to withdraw from the project after "scheduling conflicts".
Demme, an Oscar-winner in 1992 for The Silence of the Lambs, will now step in to direct the film, produced by Tuff Gong Pictures and Shangri-La Entertainment.
"I am thrilled and humbled by this extraordinary opportunity to participate in fashioning a motion picture that can serve as a worthy vessel for the spiritual and musical brilliance of Bob Marley," he said in a statement.
The No Woman No Cry star's son Ziggy, who is to executive produce the documentary, spoke of his excitement at Demme's involvement.
"His empathy with my father's body of work and his unique understanding of the musical documentary form makes me confident that this film will be the ultimate celebration of my father's life," he told the BBC.
As well as directing The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia, Demme has a history of musically-themed films, having helmed the Talking Heads film Stop Making Sense and Neil Young: Heart of Gold.
22/05/2008 10:23:08
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