Justin Timberlake To Star In Neil Bogart Biopic – SPINNING GOLD

Foresight Unlimited (Foresight) has come aboard to produce, finance, and handle worldwide sales on the epic biopic SPINNING GOLD written by Timothy Scott Bogart. Emmy® and Grammy Award®-winning Renaissance man Justin Timberlake (THE SOCIAL NETWORK, INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS) will take on the lead role of the famous 1970s record icon Neil Bogart.

Bogart, a legendary music business entrepreneur, is credited with discovering, launching and nurturing the careers of a generation of music superstars during the 60’s and 70’s including Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Gladys Knight, KISS, Parliament, Donna Summer and The Village People among many others. Featuring some of the most iconic music of the era, SPINNING GOLD tells the rags-to-riches story of a poor kid from Brooklyn who went on to become the man who defined the pop music culture of his time. Neil Bogart died prematurely in 1982 at age 39.

Foresight’s CEO Mark Damon will produce the film alongside Timberlake, Academy Award nominated Laurence Mark (DREAMGIRLS, JERRY MAGUIRE) and Boardwalk Entertainment’s Timothy Scott Bogart and Gary A. Randall. Joyce Bogart-Trabulus is executive producing along with Foresight’s President, Tamara Birkemoe and Envision Entertainment’s Remington Chase, Stepan Martirosyan and Vitaly Grigoriants.

The film is set to start shooting early next year. RCA Records will also partner on the project and will release the movie’s soundtrack.

With a soundtrack including generation-defining music of the 60’s and 70’s that will be re-imagined by some of today’s most influential artists, SPINNING GOLD will not only be a global movie event, but a major music event as well.

“We are thrilled to partner on this iconic music tale that transcends popular culture,” said Tom Corson, President & COO of RCA Records. “Our passion for this project will serve to help propel SPINNING GOLD to reach millions of music lovers around the world.”

SPINNING GOLD is written by Bogart’s son, Timothy Scott Bogart, who developed the script with Timberlake. With further casting currently underway, Damon and Birkemoe will introduce the highly anticipated film to overseas buyers at the upcoming Cannes Film Market. Timberlake will be attending Cannes to promote the film to international buyers and will co-host a private event on the Croisette for distributors with his fellow producers.

“SPINNING GOLD is about a larger than life man who achieved so much in his short life and helped define a generation,” said Damon. “And with some of the music industry’s luminary artists lining up to join Justin in telling Neil’s incredible life story, the film is going to be a wild, music extravaganza that will light up the screen. And I also have a personal interest in bringing Neil’s story to the screen, as I started my career working with Neil at Casablanca Records And Filmworks,” he continued.

“For over thirty years my father’s story has been the source of intense fascination,” said Timothy Scott Bogart. “The wait to finally tell the story had always been about partnering with the right person to play him – and that wait ended the first time Justin and I ever met. Justin Timberlake is the greatest entertainer of his generation – having him play my father, who was the ultimate entertainer of his generation, just seems like it was always meant to be.”

One of today’s most successful recording artists, Timberlake’s work has earned him six Grammy Awards and four Emmy Awards. As an actor, Timberlake has starred in such acclaimed films as the Academy Award®-nominated THE SOCIAL NETWORK as well as hit movies including FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS, BAD TEACHER and TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE.

“Neil Bogart was a fascinating individual whose vision, drive and passion brought us some of the most influential music of our time,” says Timberlake. “I am proud to be part of this project to bring this incredible life story to the screen.”

Foresight Unlimited is one of the industry’s leading independent film production, sales, and distribution companies. With a pioneering entertainment career spanning over 50 years, CEO, Mark Damon is considered to be one of the leading authorities on international film financing, distribution and marketing strategies as well as being a successful independent producer.

The company’s management group is helmed by President Tamara Birkemoe who oversees all aspects of the company’s international distribution slate that currently includes the big budget action thrillers 2 GUNS starring Mark Wahlberg and Denzel Washington and LONE SURVIVOR directed by Peter Berg and also starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch and Eric Bana both set for wide theatrical release through Universal Pictures in 2013, and Rob Reiner’s comedy AND SO IT GOES starring Michael Douglas and Diane Keaton.

Damon has produced and distributed such notable films as: Academy Award ® winner MONSTER, Academy Award ® nominee DAS BOOT, 91/2 WEEKS, ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA, THE NEVER ENDING STORY, NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN and LOST BOYS.