It was just a few months ago that the Nina Simone biopic, scheduled for wide release earlier this year, was making waves.
Simone fans had voiced their displeasure over actress Zoe Saldana donning dark makeup and an afro wig to assume the role of the iconic Simone, and the movie did not receive the blessing of Simone’s daughter. The film screened at Cannes last May, but so far, it hasn’t gotten a distribution deal.
Today Netflix announced that it would be producing a documentary on the iconic songstress, scheduled to be released in 2015, and directed by Oscar-winning Liz Garbus (The Farm: Angola, Bobby Fischer Against The World).
“Nina feels like a treasured secret,” Garbus told Variety. “With What Happened, Miss Simone?, I’m excited to help bring her music and her story to the world.”
The documentary will trace the legendary life of the singer and civil rights activist, who died in 2003 at the age of 70. It will also feature 30 years of unreleased songs as well as interviews from Simone and her friends and family.
Do you think a documentary will do Nina Simone justice?