I have been keeping my ear to the streets searching the internet for updates on the Lena Horne biopic that is to be produced by Oprah and star Alicia Keys.
News of the biopic have been circulating since 2004, when the rumored star was supposed to be Janet Jackson. Then Nipplegate happened.
The interest in Horne's biopic is resurfacing due to a new biography written by James Gavin entitled, "Stormy Weather." (I think it is kinda creepy to have a biography written about you when you are still alive)
THE FABLED but reclusive Lena Horne was 92 years old recently so we still don't know how this legendary star feels about James Gavin's new book on her life, "Stormy Weather." But I did give the incredibly frank and straight-forward biography a big thumbs up when it came out a couple of weeks ago. On its first day of publication, the book made Amazon's Top 100. Splashy reviews have been everywhere and it made Oprah's list of "Top 25 Summer Reads." Gayle King also touted it on "Good Morning America."
There is, of course, word whizzing about for a movie. In late 2007, Oprah announced her plan to star Alicia Keys as Lena in a biopic. But we haven't heard anything on that front since. SOURCE
I think this is a good look for Keys. Although, Lena Horne is famous for her unparalleled beauty. I wonder if Keys can pull of the famous cheekbones and toothy smile. I think they would have had to paint Janet Jackson white to pull of the look. Lisa Bonet may have been a good choice ten years ago.
How about you? What do you think?
If this movie is made, I wanna see this. I especially want to see how her race relations with Hollywood are characterized. On a few occasions Hollywood, not black Hollywood, asked her to star in a few movies. She told them she would, BUT ony on certain conditions: 1) the she be portrayed as she is… an entertainer and nothing that is demeaning to Afro-Americans like a maid, for example, and 2) at no time is her back to be turned to the camera. Hollywood said, “sorry, no can do”. So Lena Horne said, ” then get lost!”.
She definetly marched to the beat of her own drummer. I would love to see this movie made.