Biopic Movie Odds – Tupac Shoots to the Front

In case movie buffs haven’t noticed, we’re in the age of the biopics. There’s something about extraordinary lives – often lived by ordinary individuals – that beguiles audiences looking to put a story behind the legend.

In 2014, Hollywood brought us the stories of Chris Kyle (American Sniper), James Brown (Get On Up), Martin Luther King, Jr. (Selma), and Harry Houdini (Houdini) among others.

This year, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, and Bessie Smith will see … er, would have seen … their lives on the silver screen. Same goes for Max Rockatansky. (You didn’t know that was a biopic? Come on, folks, there’s more to Australian history than prisoners and Gallipoli!)

Looking down the road, a litany of no-longer-living legends are rumored to be getting their own biopics. Here’s a look at the odds on which one will you’ll see on the big screen first:

Tupac: 2/1

Two years after a hologram of Tupac Amaru Shakur rocked Coachella, the gangsta rapper’s story appears to be on the fast track for the silver screen. Shooting is reportedly beginning this month on the tightlipped project. I guess “filming” might be a better word choice. (Too soon?)

Steve McQueen: 4/1

The story of Steve McQueen appears to be coming to a screen near you, as well. Channing Tatum is rumored to be in the running for the role of the badass actor. (Coincidentally, their careers briefly overlapped when both McQueen and Tatum were cast as backup dancers in Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” music video.)  Overall, this project seems to be happening, but it’s not likely to beat Tupac, unless the Tupac project gets distracted by a car full of fine ladies. (Too soon?)

Enzo Ferrari: 6/1

Producers are looking into a story about famed automaker Enzo Ferrari with none other than Robert De Niro in the lead as a godfather of a different sort. While this film may ultimately get made, it’s not progressing at the same speed as Ferrari’s creations.

Freddie Mercury: 8/1

A biopic of Queen’s charismatic frontman has been talked about for years. But bringing it to fruition has been a bumpy ride; Sacha Baron Cohen was rumored to be the lead but he backed out.

George Jones: 8/1

Can you imagine the soundtrack to a biopic regarding country legend George Jones? The tear-in-your-beer project, detailing Jones’ tough life (including his turbulent marriage to Tammy Wynette), would cater to both hipsters and country music fans, alike.

Bruce Springsteen: 10/1

The hot rumor flying around Tinsel Town is that Brad Pitt is in line to portray Bruce Springsteen in an upcoming biopic. While such a project has to be named Born to Run (right!?), so far it’s progressing at walking speed. Considering “The Boss” is still in his prime as a performer, this flick seems a bit premature. Indeed, he’s the only subject mentioned in this article who’s still alive (aside from maybe Rockatansky).

(Photo credit: Cliff (flickr) [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode]. Photo has been cropped.)