Another potential project for Lee Daniels' future slate; as we've already reported, over the last 2 to 3 years, since Precious, Daniels’ name has been attached to quite a few projects – Selma, Miss Saigon, Iced, Anna In The Tropics, The Butler, and, most recently, The Paperboy, which is in theaters, and not exactly lighting the box office on fire, or drawing lots of critical acclaim. It's Daniels in Shadowboxer mode – in retrograde.
And now this…
Daniels is said to be in talks to direct a long-in-development Janis Joplin biopic titled Get It While You Can, with Amy Adams attached to star.
THR says that Daniels is another director, next in line, after Fernando Meirelles and Catherine Hardwicke were previously attached, in past years, and Renee Zellweger was once attached to star in the independently financed project.
Will Daniels go from being "in talks" to actually signing on? Your guess is as good as mine. I think if the project is financed, and ready to roll, I think he'll jump in – especially if his other projects are in limbo.
Plus, Joplin's rather short life (she died at age 27), was a hard one, as she rode the 60s counterculture wave, the drugs and the alchohol that would eventually kill her at such a young age, and more. Daniels has suggested that he's attracted this kinds of stories, so this should appeal to him; and given Joplin's worldwide popularity and influence over the years, it should be something of a prestige picture.
At the height of her career, she was known as "The Queen of Rock and Roll" as well as "The Queen of Psychedelic Soul."
Producers are aiming for early 2013 production start.