Just a few hours before the closing of its Indiegogo campaign, Don Cheadle’s “Miles Ahead” reached its goal of raising $325,000 with the support of over 2,000 backers.
As previously reported, the “Iron Man 3” star decided to launch the crowdfunding campaign for the feature film that will focus on a few famous days and events in the life of Miles Davis, American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader and composer. Mr. Cheadle will take on the role of Mr. Davis.
The film is being produced independent of any major studios, so every dollar raised by this campaign will be going directly towards the budget. “Miles Ahead” has been in development since 2008 and has had multiple changes over the years, including the location, crew and timelines. The casting will also include “Star Wars” actor Ewan McGregor.
Explaining the reasoning behind the film, Mr. Cheadle wrote, “Music has always been one of my passions. Since 6th grade, when I started listening to my parents’ Miles Davis records, his artistry has been an inspiration to me; he was someone who only ever followed a path as a runway to create a new one.”
He continued, “Surprisingly, Miles’ life, his passion, his creativity, his fire have never been brought to life in a film and the fact that his family has chosen me to do this now is an honor. I want to tell a story that Miles himself would have wanted to see, something hip, cool, alive and AHEAD.”
Also noting that the main topic isn’t exactly about Mr. Davis’ talents, Mr. Cheadle added, “‘MILES AHEAD’ is not just about the music. It’s about what we all face at one time or another in our lives; questions about who we really are, what we have to say and how will we say it. How will we ultimately be defined and who gets to say so?
Speaking on behalf of the family, Miles Davis’ nephew Vince Wilburn noted, “Don’s vision and his unwavering passion will undoubtedly serve this project to the highest standard and we are beyond thrilled to have him on board.”
Mr. Cheadle will be producing “Miles Away” through his own Crescendo Productions. He will work with Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Darryl Porter, Lenore Zeman, Pam Hirsch and Mr. Wilburn on behalf of the Davis estate.
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