Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer are reuniting with the man who helped score them both Oscar nominations in 2012.
The actresses have signed on to star in “Get On Up,” the forthcoming biopic of funk/R&B legend James Brown that’s being helmed by “The Help” director Tate Taylor, according to Deadline. The pair are set to join “42” star Chadwick Boseman in the film, which charts the singer’s rise from obscurity to superstardom. Davis will play Brown’s mother Susie Brown, who sent the future singer to live with relatives after giving birth to him at the age of 16, while Spencer is set to play the role of Brown’s Aunt Honey, who played a formative role in his young life.
The Universal project was written by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth (“Fair Game,” “The Last Legion”) and is being produced by Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger. Production on the film is set to begin in November in Mississippi.
Davis and Spencer were both nominated for their roles in “The Help” at the 2012 Oscars, for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Spencer took home the award, while Davis was beaten out by Meryl Streep, who won for her performance in “The Iron Lady.”
Will you be seeing “Get On Up” when it hits theaters? Let us know in the comments.