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Morgan Freeman as Duke Ellington...


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From Variety:

FUQUA AND FREEMAN SPY JAZZ AMBASSADORS

Source: Variety February 3, 2006

New Line Cinema has acquired The Jazz Ambassadors, a pitch for Antoine Fuqua to direct and Morgan Freeman to star in as jazz impresario Duke Ellington, says Variety. Fuqua is expected to next direct the Paramount drama By Any Means Necessary this spring.

"Jazz" covers the Ellington orchestra's tour of Iraq during a 1963 CIA-led coup that would eventually pave the way for Saddam Hussein's rise to power.

Part of the intrigue is the discovery, years later, that the CIA exploited the global zeal for Ellington's jazz by planting spies in the entourage as the orchestra toured hostile parts of the world. When and if Ellington knew of the program will be part of the drama.

Jeremy Donner will write the script. Freeman and his Revelations partner Lori McCreary will produce with Fuqua.

Variety obviously has no idea who exactly Duke Ellington was :crazy:

Will they shoot this in Iraq?

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From Variety:

FUQUA AND FREEMAN SPY JAZZ AMBASSADORS

Source: Variety February 3, 2006

New Line Cinema has acquired The Jazz Ambassadors, a pitch for Antoine Fuqua to direct and Morgan Freeman to star in as jazz impresario Duke Ellington, says Variety. Fuqua is expected to next direct the Paramount drama By Any Means Necessary this spring.

"Jazz" covers the Ellington orchestra's tour of Iraq during a 1963 CIA-led coup that would eventually pave the way for Saddam Hussein's rise to power.

Part of the intrigue is the discovery, years later, that the CIA exploited the global zeal for Ellington's jazz by planting spies in the entourage as the orchestra toured hostile parts of the world. When and if Ellington knew of the program will be part of the drama.

Jeremy Donner will write the script. Freeman and his Revelations partner Lori McCreary will produce with Fuqua.

Variety obviously has no idea who exactly Duke Ellington was :crazy:

Will they shoot this in Iraq?

It will be a blatant celebration of all the good things Saddam did as US proconsul on Iraqian soil! Can't wait to see it! Seems the fellas don't even know themselves "when and if" Ellington knew about them spies! Great, should be a terrific film! :g

And who got shot in Iraq? Rumsfeld wasn't there so, obviously not him... :crazy:

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I don't know what sounds more ridiculous...the plot of this film (spies who could be good enough musicians to play with Duke Ellington) or the casting of Morgan Freeman as Ellington. Freeman is an excellent actor, but the resemblance just isn't there.

Edited by Ken Dryden
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I don't know what sounds more ridiculous...the plot of this film (spies who could be good enough musicians to play with Duke Ellington) or the casting of Morgan Freeman as Ellington. Freeman is an excellent actor, but the resemblance just isn't there.

An excellent actor should be able to make the lack of a resemblance a non issue.

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At first, I was thinking "isn't Morgan Freeman a little old to be playing Ellington?"

I guess I don't usually think of Duke as 64 years old. I think I have this image of him as a perpetual young man. Let's see, if this takes place in 1963, that would make Duke 64 years of age. According to le internet, Freeman is 69 years of age. I guess this is about right.

Terence would have to wear a mask to look 60 anything. I'd love to see him play Ellington at a younger age though!

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I don't know what sounds more ridiculous...the plot of this film (spies who could be good enough musicians to play with Duke Ellington) or the casting of Morgan Freeman as Ellington. Freeman is an excellent actor, but the resemblance just isn't there.

Road crew? Road managers?

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