Destiny’s Child alum LeToya Luckett is attached to star in a Dionne Warwick biopic – Warwick herself made the announcement at Cannes.
Olympia Dukakis and Danny Glover will also appear in the film, which will be titled “Dionne.”
Dukakis will play Marlene Dietrich, Warwick’s mentor at the start of her career; and Danny Glover will portray Warwick’s father, Mansel Warwick.
As for who will direct, Warwick said during her announcement that her production team is in talks with Mario Van Peebles to helm the film, from a screenplay penned by Randall Jahnson (“The Doors”), based on Warwick’s 2010 autobiography, “My Life as I See It.”
The film, which has been in development for about a decade now, will cover Warwick’s early career from 1962 through 1968.
AMBI Pictures and Bacardi drinks heiress Monika Bacardi are producing the film, which is being shopped to buyers here in Cannes. Dave Wooley, who co-wrote Warwick’s autobiography, will also produce “Dionne” with Jack Binder.
Speaking on Luckett’s casting, Warwick had this to say: “She is perfect and she has exactly the right look” to play a younger version of her. “She will bring out what is needed for this part.”
Warwick also said that Luckett will perform her songs for the film’s soundtrack; so she won’t be lip-syncing.
“There’ll be a lot of surprises,” Warwick said, hinting at the possibility of other real-life characters from her life at the time, making cameos in the film (played by actors of course), including producer Burt Bacharach and The Beatles.
No ETA on “Dionne” at this time.
With 69 charted singles between 1962 and 1998, Warwick is the second most-charted female vocalist of all time on the Billboard Hot 100 Pop Singles Charts, behind only Aretha Franklin (who, by the way, has also been trying to get a film on her life made; it looks like Warwick will come out ahead of her this time).
Luckett’s recent on screen work has been restricted to mostly TV, appearing in episodes of “Single Ladies,” “Ballers,” “Truth Be Told” and others, as well as in the TV movie, “Drumline: A New Beat.” Starring as Dionne Warwick will be her most prominent role to date.
