Ewan McGregor & Zoe Saldana In Talks For Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis Biopic ‘Kill The Trumpet Player’

Updated: The Associated Press says this one is finally happening. It’s been a long time coming. “Ewan McGregor will co-star as a Rolling Stone reporter, and Zoe Saldana will play Frances Davis, the trumpet player’s former wife.”

It feels like almost as long as we’ve had this site going, we’ve been following the slow-moving development of Don Cheadle‘s dream directorial project, a Miles Davis biopic. Cheadle has been patiently shepherding the movie for years, getting financing together along with the involvement of Miles Davis Quintet member Herbie Hancock to score the movie. And last year, the slow roll on the project picked up slight speed when Antoine Fuqua‘s name was tossed around to take over helming duties. But the latest update finds Cheadle back behind the camera, with a couple of actors finally circling. 

Now titled “Kill The Trumpet Player,” the project has Ewan McGregor and Zoe Saldana in talks for undisclosed roles, alongside Cheadle playing Miles Davis himself. But don’t get too excited. The project is headed to AFM where it’s hoping to spur the interest of buyers and presumably get the financing it needs, and seriously, can someone fund this already? Because the story of Miles Davis befits his legendary status. 

“We’re trying to do what Miles Davis would have wanted us to do, which is approach it as artists with his life as the canvas. In being successful, some people say he sold out, but it’s the opposite,” Cheadle said in 2010. “You can stay in one place forever and try to make the same money from the same core fans, but saying to your audience, ‘I’m going here now, come along or don’t,’ that’s brave, risky and dangerous. That’s what he did, and that’s what we’re trying to honor in this story — that kind of spirit.”

Anyway, fingers crossed that this finally gets rolling. Hopefully when AFM wraps up in a few weeks, we’ll have a positive update on the status of this one. [Screendaily]