I never could figure out how Martin Scorsese was going to continue to juggle features like Ashecliffe (formerly Shutter Island) and a string of music documentaries. Turns out, he might not. Scorsese has vacated the helmsman’s chair on his authorized Bob Marley documentary due to scheduling conflicts.
The news isn’t all bad, however. Jonathan Demme, who proved his musical mettle so many years ago with Stop Making Sense (as well as films featuring Robyn Hitchcock and Neil Young), has stepped in to direct. The Feb 6, 2010 release date is still in place. (That’s Marley’s 65th birthday.)
Demme released a brief statement about the film: “I am thrilled and humbled by this extraordinary opportunity to participate in fashioning a motion picture that can serve as a worthy vessel for the spiritual and musical brilliance of Bob Marley.” He then exhaled deeply, coughed, and went back to work editing his next concert film, Neil Young Trunk Show.