Sam Cooke film is definitely in the works, and this one already has a writer and director attached to it, and has also begun casting! The writer/director is one Mr Carl Franklin, whom I’m sure you’re all familiar with – Devil In A Blue Dress, One False Move, and most recently Bless Me, Ultima, to name a few. To be produced by Mark Ciardi, Gordon Gray, and Jody Klein, here’s how the currently-untitled project is described:
This is the true story of the legendary singer/songwriter Sam Cooke, who started out as a Gospel singer and horrified his fellow musicians when he crossed over into pop music. Enormously successful, Sam was less happy in his personal life, since his relentless womanizing and touring schedule alienated his troubled wife Barbara, in a marriage that went into a downward spiral after the tragic death of their baby son.
ABKCO Films is the production house behind the project – a company with a number of music-themed films on their resume, including a DVD release of the previously mentioned documentary, Sam Cooke – Legend. They’ve also released docs featuring The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Ringo Starr, to name a few.Casting has begun on the project, as a search for an actor to play Cooke is underway; but no word on expected production start or release dates.
