The director of ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ claims the reggae icon “is the most recognisable face on the planet” after Jesus.
Reinaldo Marcus Green helmed the upcoming biopic about ‘No Woman, No Cry’ singer Marley and he insists his influence across the globe and his Rastafarian image rivals that of Christ.
Speaking to Empire magazine, he said: “After Jesus, he’s probably the most recognisable face on the planet! Bob is uniquely universal. But I still felt like I didn’t really know him, and that few people really do.”
‘Bob Marley: One Love’ , which will be released in February, stars ‘Barbie’ actor Kingsley Ben-Adir as Bob, and documents the singer’s rise to fame up until his death from cancer in 1981 aged 36.
Kingsley’s motivation for taking on the role is that people “don’t understand” who Marley really was as a person, despite knowing his songs and him being a ubiquitous person in pop culture.
READ: Ziggy Marley Speaks On His Late Father’s Authentic Portrayal In Upcoming Film ‘One Love’
In a joint interview with the film’s director, Kingsley, 37, said: “The idea of Bob that exists in university campus dorms and in general throughout the West – it’s an image based on tiny soundbites. Soundbites that a lot of people don’t really understand.”
James Norton plays Bob’s manager Chris Blackwell in the movie and agrees with his co-star’s assessment of Bob’s life.
He said: “When you talk about Bob Marley, the legend has become much bigger than the man.”
Filmmaker Reinaldo, 42, wanted to capture the complexities of the man behind the music in the biopic, and give audiences a better understanding of the political situation in Jamaica that defined Bob’s life and lyrics.