Helmed by The Help director Tate Taylor, the film follows Brown's life from his struggling Georgia childhood to his rise to the Godfather of Soul. The film will start shooting in Mississippi this November, continuing through early next year. The film will be released in 2014.

The film has been in development since 2001 with actors like Eddie Murphy and Wesley Snipes attached to star in the project. For a short time, even Spike Lee was on the list of possible directors. The movie will be produced by Brian Grazer, along with Mick Jagger under his Jagger Films banner.