John Boyega to star as Otis Redding in new biopic
Although still a relatively young actor, John Boyega has repeatedly demonstrated his adaptability as a performer. Starring in everything from blockbusters like Star Wars to dark comedies like They Cloned Tyrone, it seems as though Boyega’s talents know no bounds. Now, it has been announced that the actor will take on the role of soul star Otis Redding in an upcoming biopic, entitled Otis & Zelma.
Rightly dubbed the ‘King of Soul’, Redding burst onto the American music scene during the early 1960s, finding an audience for his incredible, gospel-influenced vocals. As the decade progressed, the Georgia-born songwriter became a defining figure within the blossoming movement of funk and soul music. Tragically, though, Redding died in a plane crash in 1967 at the age of only 26, providing an abrupt end to his incredible story.
Reportedly, Otis & Zelma will focus, not only on Redding’s incredible career in music, but his relationship with Zelma Atwood. The pair first met at a party when Redding was 18 and Atwood was 17. Roughly one year later, Atwood gave birth to their first child, Dexter – one of four children that the couple would welcome over the years.
A great deal of Redding’s songwriting and performance was influenced by his wife; she was an essential part of his success, though the relationship was tumultuous at times. According to a synopsis of Otis & Zelma, first reported in Variety, the biopic “celebrates the 10 short years Otis and Zelma had together, and their eternal love story after his passing.”
In actuality, the pair were together for less than a decade before Redding’s untimely death. However, Zelma Redding was never tempted to remarry in the decades since her husband’s death. In fact, she spoke to The New York Times in 2022, affirming that she “Never will [remarry],” explaining, “I love being Mrs Otis Redding. I’m the only one.”
Alongside Boyega, the role Zelma Redding will be taken on by Danielle Deadwyler, noted for her recent role in films like I Saw the TV Glow earlier this year. The upcoming biopic, to be directed by Channing Godfrey Peoples, will provide a new challenge for both actors, whose roles have largely been in sci-fi blockbusters, rather than historical dramas or biopics.
This news comes in the wake of many other music biopics which have come out in recent years. Many of these films, including the recent Amy Winehouse movie Back to Black, have attracted controversy for their apparent insensitivity in handling of these beloved stars’ lives. However, Otis & Zelma seems to boast a talented enough task to do the Otis Redding story justice.
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