Bob Marley: One Love release date and everything to know about the biopic

With the recent biopics of musical icons like Elton John, Freddie Mercury, and Elvis Presley doing big business at the box office, reggae mainstay Bob Marley is finally getting his life story on the big screen 40 years after his death. The movie is titled Bob Marley: One Love and the trailer for the film dropped just this past Thursday, July 6 – the biopic isn’t coming out in theaters until January of 2024, but here’s everything we know so far.

Bob Marley has captured our collective imagination since he came on the scene in the late 1960s. Fusing reggae music with his own personal Rastafarian style, he was a unique artist that wrote all of his music and preached love, peace, and positivity. His short life wasn’t without its imperfections – there were attempts on his life, and the political and violent turmoil within his native Jamaica helped fuel some of his most popular songs.

What does the trailer for Bob Marley: One Love show us?

In the trailer we see Bob working in the studio, performing for captivated audiences, and out on the street amongst the people of Jamaica. There is a lot of talk about how reggae, and particularly Bob Marley’s brand of reggae, is “a people’s music,” and is all about “people coming together.” This is evident in the many scenes shown of Marley’s impact on live audiences, with lots of festival scenes showing him performing with his backing band The Wailers. Later we see that the political climate of Jamaica is a danger to Marley and his message of love and peace for all people; we are shown an attempt on his and his wife’s lives, emphasizing that not everyone was aligned with his peaceful way of thinking. The trailer goes on to show that regardless of the danger, Bob Marley existed to perform for his people and spread his vision of love and peaceful revolution.

Is Bob Marley’s family involved in the production of Bob Marley: One Love?

Bob Marley impacted the music scene and made his brand of reggae a staple; it makes sense that a biopic on the life of such an impactful artist would be made and that the buzz around this trailer would cause a fervor. Produced in part by Brad Pitt’s production company Plan B Entertainment, Marley’s family brand Tuff Gong is also taking part in producing the film. Tuff Gong includes his son Ziggy Marley, daughter Cedella Marley, and wife Rita Marley; with his immediate family involved in the production of the biopic, it is likely going to be an extremely personal look into the life and musical career of the man from his beginnings in music up until his untimely death in 1981. Classic songs like “One Love” and “Get Up, Stand Up” are sure to punch through the film’s biographical content and help illustrate the powerful message of peace and revolution that he wanted to preach to his native Jamaicans and people all around the world.

Where was Bob Marley: One Love filmed?

It seems as though the production is aiming to be as close to the true life of Bob Marley as possible. The movie was filmed in Jamaica and England, often including the real locations that Marley frequented. One such place is Trench Town in the city of Kingston in Jamaica, which is the site where Bob Marley and The Wailers was formed into a musical group.

Who stars in Bob Marley: One Love?

Relative newcomer Kingsley Ben-Adir Stars in the film as Bob Marley, and from the looks of the trailer, he certainly captures the essence of the artist in his swagger and rhythmic Jamaican accent. Rounding out the main cast are Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel, No Time to Die) as Marley’s wife Rita and James Norton (Little Women) as Marley’s manager Danny Sims.

Other co-stars in the film include Jesse Cilio, Michael Gandolfini, Anthony Welsh, and Tosin Cole. Ziggy Marley talked candidly about having Jamaica represented both in front if the camera and behind it, stating, “The cast and crew, which includes numerous Jamaican actors, deliver a unique cinematic experience that captures the essence of the legend’s spirit.”

The film is directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, known for previously directing the film King Richard, another biopic, which detailed the early lives of Venus and Serena Williams. Bob Marley: One Love is in good hands, as he deftly directed that biopic to many awards and glowing reviews.

What will Bob Marley: One Love be rated?

The MPAA rating for Bob Marley: One Love is not available at the moment, but could potentially not be for all audiences, as there are scenes in the trailer of political unrest and violence, including the scene where someone attempts to shoot and kill Marley and his wife. As we await the official rating, we’d hope that younger folks wouldn’t be deterred from seeing the film. Hopefully their curiosity about Bob Marley’s legacy will bring in a younger audience along with the true fans, and all audiences will get to see what made him such a long lasting icon in the music industry, way beyond his death in 1981 of a rare form of cancer.

When will Bob Marley: One Love reach theaters?

The film will be released by Paramount Studios, and will hit theaters on Jan. 12, 2024. It may seem like a long wait to see this biopic, but from the just released trailer, it looks like it will be an empowering and powerful look into Bob Marley’s legendary life that will definitely be worth the wait.