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Former Outkast member Andre 3000 is set to join the cast of an upcoming biopic, playing none other than the late Jimi Hendrix. Can you see it?

 

The film, entitled All is By My Side, will follow the path of Hendrix being discovered with his band in a New York club through his 1966-67 period while he was in England creating his first Jimi Hendrix Experience album, Are You Experienced. To keep the album's success in perspective, the Beatles’s Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was the only thing that prevented it from hitting #1 on the U.K. charts.

 

John Ridley (who worked on Three Kings and U-Turn) will write and direct the project, which shoots for six weeks in Ireland this June (Ireland will be standing in for England). Three different companies will join together to produce the film under the name Watchtower Film Productions. The expected release date has not been mentioned yet.

 

Andre 3000 (born Andre Lauren Benjamin) already has some acting experience under his belt, including a part in the comedy Semi-Pro alongside Will Ferrell, Be Cool, Four Brothers, and the television show "The Shield" in 2008. This opportunity is a huge chance for him to do some serious acting, as expectations will be hopeful and high. Jamie Foxx took a similar risk playing an icon in accepting the lead role in Ray… and won an Oscar for it.

 

Clearly, Andre has the musical inclination. In addition to Outkast’s albums and many successes, he has collaborated with other artists endlessly, but he has some big shoes to fill, as Hendrix is widely considered to be the best electric guitarist in music history. A big presence is in order. Can’t wait to see how this turns out!

 

 

- Kate Ferguson, YH Staff