The first official trailer for Bob Marley: One Love has been released – you can watch it above.
Starring Kingsley Ben-Adir, the upcoming biopic centres on the life of the iconic reggae singer, from the early days of his career to his death in 1981.
The film, which is set for release on January 12, 2024, is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard) and written by Zach Baylin, Frank E. Flowers and Terence Winter.
“Reggae is a people music,” Ben-Adir says as Marley in the trailer. “People coming together.”
Later, someone asks the singer, “Bob, they tried to kill you and your wife, and now you’re choosing to return to Jamaica to play a peace concert? Don’t you fear for your life?” Marley then responds: “My life is not important to me. My life is for people.”
Alongside Ben-Adir, Bob Marley: One Love also stars Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley and James Norton as record producer Chris Blackwell. Other cast members include Jesse Cilio, Michael Gandolfini, Nadine Marshall and Anthony Welsh.
The film, which has the backing of the music legend’s estate, is executive produced by Richard Hewitt, Orly Marley and Matt Solodky. Other relatives of Marley’s involved in the film include his widow, Rita Marley, and children Cedella Marley and Ziggy Marley, all three of whom are producers on the project.
Speaking to Collider in 2021, director Green revealed that the film will focus on the making of Marley’s classic album ‘Exodus’ with The Wailers, which he recorded after moving to London following an unsuccessful assassination attempt in Jamaica.
Of the Marley family’s input on the film, Green added: “Ziggy Marley is, right, my point of contact for the film, and producer on the project. So we’re full steam ahead. I’ve brought on Zach Baylin (a writer on King Richard) to help me write it, which is great bringing our team back together. Hopefully, we’ll have a script very soon. I’m really excited about that one.”
Ben-Adir is known for portraying Malcolm X in the 2020 film One Night in Miami… He also played former President Barack Obama in the Showtime miniseries The Comey Rule from the same year. His other recent credits include the Marvel Disney+ series Secret Invasion and the upcoming summer release Barbie.