Get On Up (film)

Last updated

Get On Up
Get On Up poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Tate Taylor
Screenplay by
Story by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Stephen Goldblatt
Edited by Michael McCusker
Music by Thomas Newman
Production
companies
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • August 1, 2014 (2014-08-01)
Running time
139 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30 million [2]
Box office$33.4 million [3]

Get On Up is a 2014 American biographical musical film about the life of singer James Brown and is directed by Tate Taylor and written by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth. Produced by Brian Grazer, Mick Jagger, Taylor and Victoria Pearman, the film stars an ensemble cast featuring Chadwick Boseman as Brown, Nelsan Ellis as Bobby Byrd, Dan Aykroyd as Ben Bart, Viola Davis as Susie Brown, Craig Robinson as Maceo Parker, and Octavia Spencer as Aunt Honey.

Contents

The project was announced August 2013, along with Boseman, Davis, Spencer and Ellis' casting. [4] Principal photography began that November and took place in Mississippi, where the entire film was shot on location in 49 days. [5]

Get On Up was released on August 1, 2014 in the United States and received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise directed at the performances of the cast (particularly those of Boseman and Ellis), and grossed $33 million worldwide at the box office.

Plot

The film uses a nonlinear narrative, following James Brown's stream of consciousness as he recalls events from his life in an asynchronous manner, occasionally breaking the fourth wall to address the audience.

In 1939, young James lives in poverty with his mother and abusive father in the backwoods of Augusta, Georgia. His mother eventually leaves and becomes a prostitute. His father joins the Army, leaving James in the care of his brothel-running aunt. He is fascinated by the shout music at a black church. Later, he fights in a "battle royal" boxing match for the amusement of a white audience. Imagining the jazz band breaking into a funk style inspires him to win the bout. He spots his mother on the street one night, but she denies knowing him.

In 1949, 17 year-old James is imprisoned for stealing a suit. When Bobby Byrd and his gospel group perform at the prison, James is inspired. He impresses Bobby with his singing, and Bobby's family supervises his parole. James establishes himself as a lead singer and shifts the group's sound toward R&B. He leads them to jump onstage at a Little Richard show, introduces them as "the Famous Flames", and they perform a rousing rendition of "Caldonia". Richard gives James advice and warns him of the "white devil". James marries Velma Warren, and they have a son, Teddy. In 1955, Ralph Bass signs the band to King Records and records their first single, "Please, Please, Please". Ben Bart becomes James' manager; he and label executive Syd Nathan relegate the rest of the band to salaried employee status, and they quit.

By 1962 James and Bobby have re-formed the band, and James finances the recording of the hugely successful Live at the Apollo . After the show he is approached by his mother, who apologizes for leaving him. He wants nothing to do with her, but gives her financial support. In 1964 James upstages the up-and-coming Rolling Stones on the T.A.M.I. Show with his high-energy performance and dance moves. By paying young radio DJs to promote his shows, he is able to avoid promoter fees. He divorces Velma and marries Deidre Jenkins, but becomes abusive toward her. He treats his new backing band like lackeys, fining them for various infractions, calling rehearsals on their days off, and berating them for questioning him. He develops a signature groove, laying the foundation for funk.

When the King-assassination riots break out in 1968, James convinces the mayor of Boston not to cancel his show at the Boston Garden. Tensions are high between the police and the black audience, but James calms the crowd and issues a plea for togetherness. He records "Say It Loud – I'm Black and I'm Proud" and pitches President Lyndon B. Johnson his idea to perform a series of USO shows for American troops in Vietnam. Though their plane is nearly shot down, the band survives and their performance is well-received.

James suffers several setbacks, beginning with Ben's death from a heart attack. He starts several businesses and is investigated by the IRS for back taxes. His band presents a list of demands; when James rebuffs them, all quit except Bobby, who helps him assemble a new band. After a 1971 concert in Paris, Bobby proposes doing a second solo album. James considers this a betrayal; they argue and Bobby quits. James' eldest son, Teddy, dies in a car accident.

In Augusta in 1988, James gets high on marijuana and PCP and visits one of his businesses, finding that someone from a neighboring seminar has used his private restroom. He confronts the seminar carrying a shotgun, which he accidentally fires into the ceiling before forgiving the offender. The police arrive and James flees in his truck, crashing through a roadblock before being apprehended and imprisoned.

In 1993, James meets Bobby for the first time in 20 years and gives him tickets to his concert at Atlanta's Omni Coliseum. As he takes the stage, he reflects on the cost he has paid for success. Seeing Bobby and his wife in the audience, he performs "Try Me", moving them to tears.

Cast

Production

Development

Imagine Entertainment listed a James Brown biopic in development in 2000, with a script titled Star Time written by Steven Baigelman. [21] Mick Jagger joined on as a producer, and Jez and John-Henry Butterworth were brought on to rewrite the script, titled Superbad. [22] Spike Lee was set to direct but development stalled in 2006 over music licensing and finance issues. [23] [24] It was revived in 2012 when Jagger read a recent draft by the Butterworth brothers. [25] [23] John-Henry Butterworth was fascinated by the period concept of celebrity in preparing to write. “When James was becoming famous, you had to hide where you came from and be squeaky clean. Whereas if he were an artist launching his career now his upbringing and what happened to him would be right there in the press release. Everyone knows how many times 50 Cent has been shot.” [23] The script took some liberties and includes at least one scene involving fabricated incidents. [26] Lee vacated the directors position, [27] and on October 22, 2012, it was announced that Tate Taylor was set to direct the untitled biopic about James Brown, to be produced by Mick Jagger and Imagine Entertainment's Brian Grazer. [28] On August 29, 2013, Universal Pictures set October 17, 2014, as a release date for the film, previously untitled. [29] Later, on November 13, Universal shifted the release date of the biopic from October to August 1, 2014. [30]

Casting

On August 26, 2013, Universal selected Chadwick Boseman to play the lead role of James Brown. [6] Boseman did all of his own dancing and some singing. [31] The soundtrack is live recordings of James Brown. [31] On September 17, Universal announced an open casting call for actors, musicians, and extras for different roles in the biopic, which was held on September 21. [32] On September 30, Taylor cast Viola Davis to play Susie Brown and Octavia Spencer to play Aunt Honey. [10] On October 21, Nelsan Ellis joined the cast of film to portray Bobby Byrd, Brown's long-time friend. [8] Lennie James joined the cast on October 23, to play the role of Brown's father Joseph "Joe" James. [11] Jill Scott and Dan Aykroyd were added on October 31; Scott played Brown's wife while Aykroyd played Ben Bart, the president of one of New York City's largest talent agencies Universal Attractions Agency. [9]

On November 3, Universal added Keith Robinson to the film to portray the role of Baby Roy, a member of Brown's band. [15] On November 14, Tika Sumpter also joined the cast, to play singer Yvonne Fair. [14] There was a rumor that Taraji P. Henson was to join the film to play Tammi Terrell. [33] Nick Eversman joined the cast on November 19, to play Mick Jagger. [16] On December 9, 2013, it became public that Brandon Mychal Smith was selected to portray Brown's musical idol, Little Richard. [34] On December 20, Josh Hopkins joined the film to portray the role Ralph Bass, a music producer. [12] After the shooting wrapped up in Natchez, Mississippi, the production was looking for extras to begin a shoot on January 6, 2014, filming a concert scene set in Paris in 1971. [35] There was another call on January 6, 2014 for extras to film some daytime scenes in Jackson on January 7, 2014. [36]

Filming

Shooting began on November 4, 2013, in Natchez, in and around Natchez through the end of the year, and then in Jackson, Mississippi. [37] On December 20, 2013, the film wrapped up shooting in Natchez. Crews were set to take a holiday break and then return to filming from January 6–24, 2014, in Jackson. [35] [38] Filming got on track again on January 6, 2014, in Jackson. [36] On January 13, 2014, press posted the news that crews had filmed large scenes at Thalia Mara Hall, and they shot other scenes at Mississippi Coliseum, Capitol Street, and some of the restaurants in Jackson. [39] In total Get On Up was shot in 49 days. [23]

Soundtrack

The soundtrack to the film, featured live performances of songs performed by James Brown, and newly produced and arranged renditions of Brown songs produced by the Underdogs. [40] [41] The album was released by Universal Music Enterprises on July 29, 2014. [40]

Release

On September 1, 2014, it was announced that the film would be the opening film of the 2014 Zurich Film Festival. [42]

Marketing

On March 13, 2014, Universal released some photos and a first official trailer of the film. [43] [44] A second official trailer was released on May 20. [45]

Reception

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 80% based on 167 reviews, with an average rating of 6.88/10. The site's consensus reads: "With an unforgettable Chadwick Boseman in the starring role, Get On Up offers the Godfather of Soul a fittingly dynamic homage." [46] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 71 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [47] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. [48]

Brandon Smith received praise from critics for his brief but memorable role as Little Richard. [49] [50] [51] Music critic Robert Christgau found the film "not just good--great. Better than The Help , which I quite admire, and Ray , which I love. A mite short of a work of genius--it fudges too much and mythologizes beyond the call of narrative necessity. But worthy of the genius who inspired it nevertheless ... Get On Up does justice to his unknowable soul and his unending music, both of which defy closure by definition." [52]

Less favorable reviews include "Get On Up is a cagey, shapeless James Brown biopic" by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, who rated the film D+ at The A.V. Club , [53] Several other critics noted key facts and incidents omitted in the film, [54] in articles such as "The Social Activist Side of James Brown You Won't See In Get On Up", [55] "The Great Man Theory of Funk: Get On Up shows us James Brown the unstoppable personality, but skimps on James Brown the musician", [56] and "12 Crazy James Brown Moments You Won't See in Get On Up". [57]

Box office

The film grossed $13.4 million during its opening weekend, finishing in third place at the domestic box office behind fellow new release Guardians of the Galaxy ($94.3 million) and Lucy ($18.3 million). [58]

Get On Up went on to gross $30.7 million in the U.S. and $2.7 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $33.4 million by September 2014, against a $30 million budget. [3] [ needs update ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Rolling Stones</span> English rock band

The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active across seven decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pioneered the gritty, rhythmically driven sound that came to define hard rock. Their first stable line-up consisted of vocalist Mick Jagger, guitarist Keith Richards, multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones, bassist Bill Wyman, and drummer Charlie Watts. During their early years, Jones was the primary leader of the band. After Andrew Loog Oldham became the group's manager in 1963, he encouraged them to write their own songs. The Jagger–Richards partnership became the band's primary songwriting and creative force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Jagger</span> English rock singer; frontman of the Rolling Stones (born 1943)

Sir Michael Philip Jagger is an English singer. He is the front man and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. Jagger has written most of the band's songs alongside lead guitarist Keith Richards; their songwriting partnership is one of the most successful in history, and they continue to collaborate musically. His career has spanned over six decades, and he has been widely described as one of the most popular and influential front men in the history of rock music. His distinctive voice and energetic live performances, along with Richards' guitar style, have been the Rolling Stones' trademark throughout the band's career. Jagger gained notoriety for his romantic involvements and illicit drug use, and has often been portrayed as a countercultural figure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keith Richards</span> British musician, guitarist of the Rolling Stones

Keith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, singer and recording producer who is an original member, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-principal songwriter of the Rolling Stones. His songwriting partnership with the band's lead vocalist Mick Jagger is one of the most successful in history. His career spans over six decades, and his guitar playing style has been a trademark of the Rolling Stones throughout the band's career. Richards gained press notoriety for his romantic involvements and illicit drug use, and he was often portrayed as a countercultural figure. First professionally known as Keith Richard, by the early 1970s he had fully asserted his family name.

Bobby Howard Byrd was an American rhythm and blues, soul and funk singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, bandleader and talent dedicated, who played a part in the development of soul and funk music in association with James Brown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Keys</span> American saxophonist (1943–2014)

Robert Henry Keys was an American saxophonist who performed as a member of several horn sections of the 1970s. He appears on albums by the Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Harry Nilsson, Delaney & Bonnie and Friends, George Harrison, John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker and other prominent musicians. Keys played on hundreds of recordings, and was a touring musician from 1956 until his death in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brandon Mychal Smith</span> American actor, singer, dancer and rapper (born 1989)

Brandon Mychal Smith is an American actor, singer, dancer, and rapper. He is best known for playing Bug Wendal in Gridiron Gang, Sam in You're the worst, Li'l Danny Dawkins in Phil of the Future, Nico Harris in Sonny with a Chance and So Random!, Stubby in Starstruck, Lord of da Bling in Let It Shine, and Marcus in One Big Happy. He received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Tayshawn Mitchell in The Ron Clark Story (2006) and Little Richard in the 2014 James Brown biopic Get on Up. He voices Michelangelo in the Nickelodeon animated series Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It's a Man's Man's Man's World</span> 1966 single by James Brown

"It's a Man's Man's Man's World" is a song written by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome. Brown recorded it on February 16, 1966, in a New York City studio and released it as a single later that year. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its title is a word play on the 1963 comedy film It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Famous Flames</span> American R&B vocal group

The Famous Flames were an American rhythm and blues, soul vocal group founded in Toccoa, Georgia, in 1953 by Bobby Byrd. James Brown first began his career as a member of the Famous Flames, emerging as the lead singer by the time of their first appearance in a professional recording, "Please, Please, Please", in 1956.

<i>The Express: The Ernie Davis Story</i> 2008 American football film

The Express: The Ernie Davis Story is a 2008 American sports film produced by John Davis and directed by Gary Fleder. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Charles Leavitt from a 1983 book Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, authored by Robert C. Gallagher. The film is based on the life of Syracuse University football player Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy, portrayed by actor Rob Brown. The Express explores civil rights topics, such as racism, discrimination and athletics. It was the film debut of Chadwick Boseman as Floyd Little.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelsan Ellis</span> American actor (1978–2017)

Nelsan Ellis was an American actor. He achieved critical acclaim for his portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds in the HBO television series True Blood (2008–2014), for which he won a Satellite Award from the International Press Academy, among other accolades. He also starred as Shinwell Johnson in Elementary from 2016 to 2017, and played a variety of guest roles on television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chadwick Boseman</span> American actor (1976–2020)

Chadwick Aaron Boseman was an American actor. During his two-decade career, Boseman received several accolades, including two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award, along with an Academy Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tate Taylor</span> American filmmaker and actor (born 1969)

Tate Taylor is an American filmmaker and actor. Taylor is best known for directing The Help (2011), Get On Up (2014), and The Girl on the Train (2016).

Robert J. Bennett, better known as Bobby Bennett, was an American singer, songwriter, choreographer, comedian, and musician, noted for being a member of the vocal group The Famous Flames from 1958 to 1968. During his time in the group, he served as a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, comedian, emcee and dancer in the James Brown Revue. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of The Famous Flames in 2012.

<i>42</i> (film) 2013 American biographical sports film

42 is a 2013 American biographical sports film about baseball player Jackie Robinson, the first black athlete to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) during the modern era. Written and directed by Brian Helgeland, the film stars Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, alongside Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, André Holland, Lucas Black, Hamish Linklater, and Ryan Merriman in supporting roles. The title of the film is a reference to Robinson's jersey number, which was universally retired across all MLB teams in 1997.

William H. Slaughter is an American film and television actor, best known for his roles in The Big Short, The Magnificent Seven, The Campaign, Netflix's Mindhunter, Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches, and Marvel's Cloak & Dagger. He starred in films such as Mysterious Circumstance, which won the "Best Picture" award at the Los Angeles Film Awards (2022).

<i>Marshall</i> (film) 2017 American film

Marshall is a 2017 American biographical legal drama film directed by Reginald Hudlin and written by Michael and Jacob Koskoff. It stars Chadwick Boseman as Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Supreme Court Justice, and focuses on one of the first cases of his career, the State of Connecticut v. Joseph Spell. It also stars Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Dan Stevens, Sterling K. Brown, and James Cromwell.

<i>21 Bridges</i> 2019 American action thriller film by Brian Kirk

21 Bridges is a 2019 American action-thriller film directed by Brian Kirk and written by Adam Mervis and Matthew Michael Carnahan, based on a story by Mervis. The film stars Chadwick Boseman as an NYPD Detective who shuts down the 21 river crossings of Manhattan to find two suspected cop killers, portrayed by Stephan James and Taylor Kitsch. Sienna Miller, Keith David and J. K. Simmons appear in supporting roles. The film was produced by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, Mike Larocca, Robert Simonds, Gigi Pritzker, Boseman and Logan Coles. It was also Boseman's final theatrical film before his death in August 2020. His last two films, Da 5 Bloods and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, were released on Netflix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T'Challa (Marvel Cinematic Universe)</span> Character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

T'Challa is a fictional character portrayed by Chadwick Boseman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise—based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. He is initially depicted as the prince of the fictional African nation of Wakanda who holds the appointed title of Black Panther. He uses an advanced vibranium suit and is imbued with superhuman strength and agility granted to him by the heart-shaped herb, as a blessing bestowed upon him by Wakanda's patron deity Bast, from whom the visage of the Black Panther mantle assumed by the chosen royal members is representative and evocative of.

<i>Ma Raineys Black Bottom</i> (film) 2020 film by George C. Wolfe

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is a 2020 American drama film directed by George C. Wolfe and written by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, based on the 1982 play of the same name by August Wilson. The film stars Viola Davis, Chadwick Boseman, Glynn Turman, Colman Domingo, and Michael Potts. Inspired by the career of Ma Rainey, an influential blues singer and the title character, the film dramatizes a turbulent recording session in 1920s Chicago.

<i>Get On Up</i> (soundtrack) 2014 soundtrack album by James Brown

Get On Up: The James Brown Story is the soundtrack to the 2014 film of the same name directed by Tate Taylor, based on the life of singer James Brown, and is played by Chadwick Boseman in the film. The album featured 20 songs which also include live renditions of tracks performed by Brown in concert tours but remained unreleased to the public, and five of the tunes which are newly produced and arranged by the record production duo Underdogs. The music was positively received by critics and nominated for Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.

References

  1. "Get On Up (12)". British Board of Film Classification . August 22, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  2. Steve Dougherty (July 24, 2014). "James Brown and the Making of 'Get On Up'". WSJ.
  3. 1 2 "Get On Up (2014) - Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  4. Chitwood, Adam (August 29, 2013). "Universal to Release Tate Taylor's James Brown Biopic GET ON UP on October 17, 2014". Collider. Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  5. Dougherty, Steve (July 24, 2014). "James Brown and the Making of 'Get On Up'". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved October 3, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Kroll, Justin (August 28, 2013). "'42′ Star Chadwick Boseman to Play James Brown". variety.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  7. Ali, Lorraine (July 24, 2014). "Getting it together for James Brown biopic". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  8. 1 2 Gallagher, Brian (October 21, 2013). "Nelsan Ellis Joins the James Brown Biopic Get On Up". movieweb.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Kit, Borys (October 31, 2013). "Dan Aykroyd, Jill Scott Join James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 Fleming, Mike Jr. (September 30, 2013). "Tate Taylor Reunites With 'The Help's Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer On James Brown Pic". deadline.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Kroll, Justin (October 23, 2013). "'Walking Dead' Actor 'Lennie James' Joins James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". variety.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  12. 1 2 Sneider, Jeff (December 20, 2013). "'Cougar Town' Star Josh Hopkins to Play James Brown's Producer in 'Get On Up'". thewrap.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  13. Andreeva, Nellie (March 13, 2014). "Janina Gavankar Joins 'The Mysteries Of Laura', Brandon Smith In 'One Big Happy'". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  14. 1 2 "Tika Sumpter Cast In James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". deadline.com. November 14, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  15. 1 2 "Keith Robinson Joins James Brown Pic 'Get On Up'". deadline.com. November 3, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  16. 1 2 "Mick Jagger-Produced James Brown Biopic Casts 'Nick Eversman' as Mick Jagger". hollywoodreporter.com. November 19, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  17. Sneider, Jeff (October 24, 2013). "'Treme' Star James DuMont Joins James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". thewrap.com. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  18. "Kirk Bovill Tapped for James Brown Biopic, Get On Up". pr.com. October 30, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  19. Feinberg, Daniel (April 30, 2014). "Set Visit: Get On Up team promises a James Brown biopic done right". HitFix . Retrieved April 24, 2023 via Uproxx.
  20. "Masterclass: Aakomon "AJ" Jones Instructional Pt 2". October 26, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2014 via YouTube.
  21. Fleming, Michael (October 19, 2000). "Imagine buoys Barbieri to pix veep". Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  22. Fleming, Michale (March 1, 2007). "Plame film in works at Warner Bros". Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Morfoot, Addie (July 22, 2014). "Mick Jagger on James Brown: 'He Was Very Generous and Kind With Me and He Wasn't Kind With Everybody'". Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  24. Vivarelli, Nick (May 20, 2008). "Spike Lee sets Michael Jordan film". Variety. Retrieved October 17, 2014.
  25. Browne, David (January 16, 2013). "James Brown Biopic Set to Begin Casting Soon". Rolling Stone . No. 1175. p. 22. Retrieved April 24, 2023.
  26. Thomson, Charles (August 6, 2014). "James Brown Biopic: Should Life Stories Really Include Fabricated Incidents?". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on August 2, 2014.
  27. "Spike Lee Fired From James Brown Biopic". Slate. November 2, 2012.
  28. Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 22, 2012). "'The Help's Tate Taylor and Mick Jagger Join Brian Grazer On James Brown Biopic". deadline.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  29. Hayden, Erik (August 29, 2013). "James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up' Gets October 2014 Release Date". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  30. "Universal Moves Up Release Date For James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". indiewire.com. November 13, 2013. Archived from the original on November 16, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  31. 1 2 Stern, Marlow (August 4, 2014). "'Get On Up' Star Chadwick Boseman on Becoming James Brown—With A Little Help From Mick Jagger". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  32. A. Obenson, Tambay (September 17, 2013). "Casting Call For Universal's James Brown Biopic - Actors, Musicians, Extras..." indiewire.com. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  33. "Might Taraji P. Henson Be Playing Tammi Terrell In 'Get On Up,' The James Brown Biopic?". indiewire.com. November 18, 2013. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  34. "Disney's Brandon Mychal Smith to Portray Little Richard". Btscelebs. December 9, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2014.
  35. 1 2 "Extras needed in Jackson, MS for the James Brown biopic 'Get On Up'". onlocationvacations.com. December 27, 2013. Archived from the original on December 29, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
  36. 1 2 ""Get On Up" Call for Film Extras". jacksonfreepress.com. January 6, 2014. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  37. "'Get On Up', the James Brown biopic filming in Natchez, Mississippi". onlocationvacations.com. November 4, 2013. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  38. "Filming slated to wrap today on 'Get On Up' film". natchezdemocrat.com. December 20, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
  39. "Filming for 'Get On Up' ongoing in Jackson". miamiherald.com. January 13, 2014. Archived from the original on January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  40. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (August 22, 2014). "Robert Christgau on 'Get On Up': Putting James Browns' Music First". Billboard. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  41. Grow, Kory (July 24, 2014). "Hear an Unreleased 1966 James Brown Performance". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  42. Barraclough, Leo; Keslassy, Elsa (September 1, 2014). "James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up' to Open Zurich". variety.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  43. Davis, Edward (March 13, 2014). "A New Trailer & Photos Of James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". indiewire.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2014. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  44. McNary, Dave (March 13, 2014). "James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up' Gets First Trailer". variety.com. Retrieved March 14, 2014.
  45. Hughes, Jason (May 20, 2014). "Chadwick Boseman Overcomes Family Struggles in New Trailer for James Brown Biopic 'Get On Up'". thewrap.com. Retrieved June 2, 2014.
  46. "Get On Up (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  47. "Get On Up reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved May 2, 2020.
  48. "Find CinemaScore" (Type "Get On Up" in the search box). CinemaScore . Retrieved August 30, 2020.
  49. Blaustein, David (August 1, 2014). "Will 'Get On Up' Make You Stand Up and Cheer?". ABCNews.
  50. "James Brown's biopic 'Get On Up' takes huge risks with mixed results - Baltimore Post-ExaminerBaltimore Post-Examiner". baltimorepostexaminer.com. August 2014.
  51. Rosen, Christopher (August 1, 2014). "These Are The Best Parts Of 'Get On Up'". Huffington Post.
  52. Christgau, Robert (August 22, 2014). "Get On Up". Billboard . Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  53. Vishnevetsky, Ignatiy (July 31, 2014). "Get On Up is a cagey, shapeless James Brown biopic". The A.V. Club.
  54. Jung, E. Alex. "12 Crazy James Brown Moments You Won't See in Get On Up". Vulture.com .
  55. Harris, Aisha (August 1, 2014). "The Social Activist Side of James Brown You Won't See In Get On Up". Slate.
  56. Wolk, Douglas (July 2014). "The Great Man Theory of Funk: Get On Up shows us James Brown the unstoppable personality, but skimps on James Brown the musician". Slate.
  57. Jung, E. Alex (August 12, 2014). "12 Crazy James Brown Moments You Won't See in Get On Up". Vulture.com .
  58. "Weekend Box Office Results for August 1-3, 2014". Box Office Mojo . Internet Movie Database. August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 22, 2014.