Spike Lee Fired From James Brown Movie as White Director Takes Over

7:21 AM EDT

10/24/2012 by Amir Shaw

Spike Lee will no longer be the writer and director of the highly anticipated James Brown bio-pic. The famed director was fired by producer Brian Grazer who originally hired Lee for the film shortly after Brown’s death in 2006.

Eddie Murphy, who was cast by Lee to play Brown, once told BlackTree TV that the script was a “great, great piece.”

However, Glazer decided to fire Lee and hired Tate Taylor. Taylor was the director of the film The Help.

Although the movie was critically-acclaimed, it lacked in story structure and failed to give a complete view of black life during that era. Essentially, it was a black story told from a white person’s point of view.

Before The Help, Tate only directed the lackluster film Pretty Ugly People.

His credentials are not adequate for a film as enormous as James Brown.

Lee has also directed a few duds. However, he’s mostly known for being the man behind American classics such as Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X.

Glazer’s decision to fire Lee and hire Tate proves that Hollywood continues to be a racially divided industry. Black filmmakers will only get an opportunity to tell their stories when wealthy blacks make a point to invest in the business by opening more production studios.

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Tags: James Brown, movie, racism, Spike Lee

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Celeste

Which means I won’t seeing it.
- brownie
  
  neither will I…we need to green-light our own projects, jews in hollywood will never be fair about anything.
zobop republic Wordpress com

I haven’t seen the movie ‘The Help’; and I don’t plan on seeing it. Black people are powerless to control the movie business because we don’t own stock in the corporations.
Remember, it’s a “business”. Blacks can’t be dependant on welathy Blacks. That’s not a good business strategy.
http://www.facebook.com/glenn.miles3 Glenn Miles

Well as far as Im concrend I wont be going to see it anyway ! How dear they Fire a Director of Spike Lees Genius ,to say nothing of the fact the Movie is being made about Souls Brother Number 1 James Brown !And a White Mans going to direct it ,Aw Hell nall ,I tell you what IM GOING TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE I KNOW WONT BE GOING TO SEE THIS MOVIE UN LESS SPKIE LEE IS PUT BACK ON AS DIRECTOR PERIOD !
- http://www.facebook.com/suchalady.blackheart Suchalady Blackheart
  
  Wow…how dare Spike do what he did to Tyler Perry. This is Karma.
  - tldrkhnsm
    
    Hollywood only wants Black men who put on dresses and act like a old Black female stereotypes or Blacks who will sell out their race. Ya need to support the brother as he would you.
enochhasrisen

Black America 2013, you heard the man:
“Black filmmakers will only get an opportunity to tell their stories when blacks make a point to invest in the business by opening more production studios.”

There is never victory without sacrifice and to this day Bill Cosby is the only black man ever to pay the price. As for the rest of us…, comments is currency and lip service our product..
http://www.facebook.com/gary.dwayne Gary Dwayne

I’m a fan of Spike but as a biographical filmmaker, he leaves much to be desired. We all love him for Malcolm X but simply because he made a Malcolm X movie but that movie left out many key factors of Malcolm’s life and story. Basically he made a “safe” Malcolm X movie that was pallable to the white studio/public structure. My point is we shouldn’t just champion Spike to do a black biopic just “because” but I agree with the sentiment of hating the same ol hollywood racist practices when it comes to black filmmakers being able to helm black stories the way they see fit.
- Hmm
  
  Interesting…and you think the White director, who did The Help, would not be sure to make a film palatable to White people? Apparently, Malcolm X wasn’t palatable enough, because the studios refused to back Lee on
  Malcolm X, and other Blacks in Hollywood had to contribute for him to
  get it made. He probably had to tone it down for distribution.
Nayberry

Question: Why was he fired? This article leaves out the most important piece.
http://www.facebook.com/ Ellis Ellison

Yes i would like Spike to Direct it…. But
WHO CARES I WANT A GOOD MOVIE_Not….B*A*P*S (1997)
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1095641042 Ibiajulu Onyemaechi

Why didnt Spike produce the movie himself?
- shoes4industry
  
  $$$
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1673298445 Darlene L. Adams

I don’t know why black entertainers have not come together and opened several black owned studios. If each of them gave a mil, could you image the design and technology of the actual studio(s). And start promoting for up and coming writers, producers & directors to get some new ideas on the table or movies told from different levels. You have some kids out here with better movie material than some of the famous ones have been producing lately. With the means VH1 would be off the air. #IJS
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001642292856 Clifton Richard

You can count me as one who won’t be viewing this film. We have to produce our own movies,entirely. First Nina Simone now James Brown. Our icons story has to be told by us as black people. We can’t allow their legacies to be hijacked.
- brownie
  
  I say boycott…I boycott all the time…did not pay or saw the help or red tails. we need to green-light our own shit.
Filmmakerharryb

I was just about to ask the same question, why was he fired? Remember he had the job, so pulling out the black card doesn’t apply here. Didnt these two work on Inside Man together? Brian is not a racist so I’m sure something happened. Investigate before pulling that black card.
- http://oneorganizedbusiness.com/ Alaia Williams
  
  Yep, that’s the question that should be asked (and answered) before people jump to conclusions – WHY was he fired?
mmdccbslm

someone cale tyler perry, quick!
- http://www.facebook.com/suchalady.blackheart Suchalady Blackheart
  
  My sentiments exactly….Karma baby
Mrs. Saunders

I wondered if poor James Brown ever got a proper burial? I don’t need a movie about his life, I lived it. Spike don’t need another movie, he is set for life I’m sure. They never did mention why he was fired tho? Cheers!
Digavijoe

Brian Grazer is kinown for making astute decisions based upon logic. I would like to hear his side of the story. He’s definitely not a rascist as far as I know!! Director’s get fired all the time!!
- http://www.facebook.com/suchalady.blackheart Suchalady Blackheart
  
  I’m sure he’s not a racist. I get tired of the black card being pulled and I’m black. I’ve seen Spike diss Tyler PERRY so I’m sure its more to the story
  - tldrkhnsm
    
    The fact that you say ” I get tired of the black card being pulled and I’m Black” tells you ain’t…or you are, acutely, whitewashed.
MinorityRpt

How can an article jumps to such glaring conclusions without releasing the facts is awe-strikingly prove to the powers of the Internet and its powers to slander. I see so many post about this article but the most important one is not from a white nor a black place but from the perspectives of visionaries. Spike may not have had the gravitas to make this film memorable or Oscar-worthy The other gentleman has already proven the ability to capture black life in the Help.

I am more inclined to want to see something with merit and not a story line that seems either mangled, jumbled or maligned in scope. Has nothing to do with race and as black man LOUD AND PROUD, sometimes we have to put this polarized perspective of race in our discussion on simmer and get to the heart of the matter; personalities.

Me thinks that this may have been the intent of the writer all along.
- http://www.facebook.com/suchalady.blackheart Suchalady Blackheart
  
  I’m a black woman and I concur
http://www.facebook.com/viva.vanassen Viva Habbit Van Assen

Well this is interesting but why, it seem that there is only one black film matter with a studio and that’s TP and how long has SL been around and he has got a studio builded. Darlene L Adams said it right read her remarks what haven’t black entertainers come together to form some type of support. White folks love to tell you about how you feel as a black person or Latino or anything other than white. Wait UP people!
http://twitter.com/BlackWomanGamer Broomy

BooHoo! I think he botched up MalcolmX so I’m glad he won’t get a chance to muck up Mr. Browns’ story. Hes a terrible story teller, and he has no problem throwing Black women’s image under the bus. Let him fight his own battles. If he (or his supporters) want to use the race card, let them.
tldrkhnsm

We’re treated this way bc we don’t protest and, in fact, will spend our money on white insults like DJango and “The Help”. Spend your money supporting Black artists who uplift our race.