With the surprise appearance by the Duke of Sussex Prince Harry and his wife Meghan on the red carpet leaving the mouths of nattily attired guests agape, the imposing legacy of reggae legend Bob Marley registered anew with the highly anticipated big-screen biography of his life, ‘One Love’, making its world premiere at the Carib 5 cinema in Cross Roads, Kingston, on Monday night.
The Marley biopic, due to open in cinemas worldwide on February 14, made its debut for a Jamaican audience, with the film’s director Reinaldo Marcus Green, lead star Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Paramount Pictures president and chief executive officer Brian Robbins, among the bigwigs in the island for the glitzy premiere.
An impressive turnout of the who’s who in Jamaican entertainment, political, business and social circles made the guestlist for the buzzed about affair, which sees scions of the late music superstar Ziggy and Cedella Marley as the film’s co-producers, bringing their father’s well-documented life to celluloid posterity.
Speaking to Loop Entertainment on the premiere’s press line, Ziggy relayed his satisfaction with the road taken for ‘One Love’ from story concept to movie reality.
“It helps to spread the message more in a different medium, so we are very happy we are able to push it to another level,” he said, adding that “me and Neville Garrick, were there to make sure they don’t mess it up, we were really involved.”
Asked if he’d seen the biopic more than once, Marley cheerfully shared: “Yeah man, mi see it nuff time… mi like it, is one of them movie weh you are going to want to watch more than one time.”
Meanwhile, for the man who stepped into character as the music icon, and has faced praise and backlash from opposing sides of the local public who have debated his casting, Ben-Adir told Loop Entertainment that being in Jamaica for the premiere “is beyond special.
“This movie was made for Jamaica, with Bob’s family and all of the cast, so premiering it here is a very special moment,” Ben-Adir said.
Asked about his preparation for the role and going through the months-long filmed experience, the English actor said:
“It was a journey, and I had the love and support of the Jamaican cast and they really lifted it, they really lifted the whole film.”
The ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ movie, lensed last year between the UK and Jamaica, with shoot locations including Trench Town, the National Stadium, and the Bob Marley Museum, stars Ben-Adir as Bob, Lashana Lynch as Rita Marley, and James Norton as Chris Blackwell.
Jamaicans in the cast include reggae singers Naomi Cowan and Hector Lewis and musician and actor Sheldon Shepherd.
Based on an initial story by Terence Winter and Frank E Flowers, and developed into the screenplay penned by Winter, Flowers, Zach Bryan and the film’s director Green, the movie zones in on Bob’s prolific career, including events leading up to his attempted assassination in 1976, and the historic One Love concert he headlined the same year, at which he memorably joined the hands of late Prime Minister Michael Manley and Opposition Leader Edward Seaga.
Jamaica’s present Prime Minister Andrew Holness, talking to American journalists at the premiere, was effusive about both Marley and the movie.
“He appeals to a broad cross section of people all over the world; his music and his values are universal so he iconic. To the people of Jamaica, he’s their hero, he is their voice, poetry and music.
“For a film to be made of him and to premiere here is a great honour for us,” Holness said. “Paramount Pictures has shown a great respect and culture of Jamaica to have the premiere here.”
In addition to a sizable representation from the local press, a flurry of overseas media was also present at Monday night’s premiere, including Entertainment Tonight and the show’s co-host Kevin Frazier, CBS Sunday Morning and correspondent Seth Doane, and Fantastico Brazil and reporter Hugo Glos.
Doane told Loop Entertainment that his television crew’s Jamaica visit to cover the premiere is part of a Ben-Adir profile story set to air on CBS on Sunday, February 4.
