Kingsley Ben-Adir transforms into a legend in the first official trailer for Bob Marley: One Love. The trailer gives a small glimpse into the biopic that will bring Bob Marley’s story to the big screen.
Bob Marley: One Love is written and directed by the same team that brought us the Academy Award-winning film King Richard. It will celebrate the legacy of Marley, an iconic Jamaican singer credited with popularizing the reggae genre and bringing it to the mainstream. Many also consider him an “ambassador” for Jamaica as he gave its music, culture, and religion an international stage. To this day, Marley remains one of the biggest music artists of all time, with his albums Legend and Exodus being among the best-selling reggae albums in the world.
In addition to changing the music world, Marley used his platform to advocate for political change in Jamaica and the rights of Black individuals. During much of his lifetime, political conflict in Jamaica between the right-wing and left-wing parties had escalated into violence. In the 1960s, though, Marley joined the Rastafarian movement and remained a devout member until his death in 1981. He became a strong proponent of the religion, emphasizing peace and unity and condemning violence. In fact, Rastafari is where the expression “One Love” comes from, which Marley famously used as the title for one of his hit singles.
Over the years, there have been many attempts to capture and honor the legacy of Marley, including the documentaries Marley and Rebel Music. However, Bob Marley: One Love will be the first time that Marley’s life has been dramatized in a biopic. His legacy is in capable hands, with King Richard‘s Reinaldo Marcus Green and Zach Baylin directing and writing, respectively, and Marley’s wife Rita and children Cedella and Ziggy producing. Here’s everything we know about Bob Marley: One Love so far.
Kingsley Ben-Adir shines in Bob Marley: One Love trailer
Paramount Pictures dropped the official trailer for Bob Marley: One Love on December 5, after first offering a teaser for the film back in July. The trailer comes just two months before the film is set to arrive in theaters on February 14, 2024.
The trailer sees Marley’s rise to fame as well as his remarkable humility in the face of stardom. Despite being surrounded by photographers and driving through parades of loving fans, Marley denies being a “superstar.” What’s more important to him is the message of peace in his music, especially as viewers get a sobering look at “war” in Jamaica. The trailer also offers a glimpse of the harrowing assassination attempt that Marley, his wife, and his band survived in 1976. We also see Marley continuing his music and becoming a symbol of peace himself despite the incident. It seems that One Love will be diving fully into the revolution in Jamaica that Marley advocated for, in addition to his musical legacy.
Who is starring in Bob Marley: One Love?
Bob Marley: One Love stars Ben-Adir as the reggae music legend. Ben-Adir made his Hollywood breakthrough as Malcolm X in One Night in Miami and recently entered the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the chilling antagonist of Secret Invasion. The trailer for One Love sees Ben-Adir fully transform into Marley, and he has already proven his acting capabilities, which bodes well for his performance. Starring opposite Ben-Adir is Lashana Lynch as Marley’s wife, Rita Marley. Lynch is a fellow MCU star (she plays Maria Rambeau) and recently appeared in The Woman King and Matilda the Musical. Hopefully, Bob Marley: One Love will also delve into Rita’s music career and give Lynch another opportunity to show her musical talents.
Meanwhile, Jesse Cilio plays Marley’s father, Norval Marley. It’s quite interesting that Norval will be in the film, as Marley’s father was largely absent from his life and passed away when Marley was only 10 years old. Happy Valley star James Norton stars in One Love as Chris Blackwell, the record producer who helped bring Marley into the spotlight. Umi Myers and Sundra Oakley star in the film as Cindy Breakspeare and Diane Dobson, respectively. Dobson was Marley’s close friend and lawyer, while Breakspeare was a jazz singer and the mother of Marley’s son, Damian. Marley and Rita had an open relationship, and both welcomed children from other partners during their marriage in addition to their three shared children.
Michael Gandolfini, Nadine Marshall, Anthony Welsh, Micheal Ward, and Tosin Cole are also appearing in Bob Marley: One Love in undisclosed roles.
What is Bob Marley: One Love about?
Bob Marley: One Love is a dramatization of Marley’s life and legacy. It is expected that the film will follow the whole life of Marley, with an emphasis on his years as a solo artist. While Marley is best known for his solo career, he actually got his start with the reggae band The Wailers, which disbanded in 1973. It’s unclear if The Wailers will appear in the film at all, but Bob Marley: One Love will presumably at least briefly touch on Marley’s childhood and early career. Based on the trailer, though, the focus will be primarily on Marley’s rise to international fame and his impact on Jamaica. It will also delve into the political conflict in Jamaica and how Marley was a victim of violence despite remaining publicly neutral when it came to Jamaica’s politics.
The trailer also confirms that the film will recount the assassination attempt that Marley survived. In 1976, seven armed men broke into Marley’s home in an attempt to kill the singer because they believed he supported the People’s National Party (PNP) in Jamaica. Marley, Rita, and two band members were shot and injured but miraculously survived the harrowing incident. The film will also tell the true story of how Marley decided to perform a concert advocating for peace in Jamaica just two days after the shooting. Additionally, it may delve into the aftermath of this incident, which prompted Marley to relocate to London, where he lived in self-imposed exile from his home country for two years before returning.
While Bob Marley: One Love will focus on the life and legacy of Marley, it is also likely it will touch on his death. Marley passed away in 1981 at the young age of 36 due to acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM), a type of skin cancer. Despite his diagnosis in 1977, he spent the last years of his life continuing to focus on his music career and touring around the world.
(featured image: Paramount Pictures)
