Legendary gospel artist Kirk Franklin is getting his own biopic and Director Brian Ivie has been chosen to work on the film.
Ivie first revealed the news of the upcoming project to Ambo TV during an interview in June.
“So I’m actually working on the new Kirk Franklin movie now,” Ivie shared. “We’ll be announcing that pretty soon. So, it’s really exciting.”
Last week Hollywood Producer DeVon Franklin officially made the announcement in an Instagram video with Kirk Franklin.
“If you think Bohemian Rhapsody is something, if you think Rocketman is something, wait, wait,” the Breatkthrough producer said in a message to his 1.2 million followers.
Ivie, who also directed the faith-based films Emanuel and The Drop Box, says he approaches filmmaking by immersing himself in the lives of his subjects, which incldues following them around. That is what he is doing with Franlkin for the biopic.
“My hope is to get close to him; his story,” he explained. “I was in the studio while he recorded his new album. Just making sure I understood the language–the culture. And it’s been really a blessing. It’s been super fun.”
He admits that immersing himself in Franklin’s life helped him connect with the music producer on a personal level.
“He’s just another example of a guy who is authentic, broken, messy, honest–and yet he owes everything to God, just like I do, so I connect to him on that level,” Ivie reflected.
The Emanuel director also explained how the recording-breaking singer manages to stay so young. Spoiler alert, it’s the same thing your doctor has been telling you for years: diet and exercise.
“You know how he does that, right,” Ivie asks rhetorically. “He doesn’t do sugar. He’s pretty serious. He works out every day. Like, he’s kind of like an athlete.”
A release date and title for the film have not been provided yet. In the meantime, audiences can spend their time trying to guess who will play Franklin. Don’t worry, DeVon Franklin assures us it won’t’ be the rapper Plies.
To see Ivie’s interview with Ambo TV, check out the link above.