Kingsley Ben-Adir has been selected to play Bob Marley in an authorized biopic released by Paramount Pictures. According to Deadline, the One Night In Miami… actor was cast after a search that took nearly a year. Producers include the famed reggae singer’s widow, Rita Marley, as well as Ziggy Marley, Cedella Marley, and Robert Teitel. Reinaldo Marcus Green, who most recently directed the Oscar-nominated King Richard, will direct.

“Bob Marley’s music lives on in all of us. His lyrics transcend continents, color, creed, and generations of people. It heals. It fights,” Green said. “It bleeds love and truth. It’s a true honor and privilege to work with Ziggy and the Marley Family, and Paramount Pictures to bring his story to life. Audiences want to know the real Bob, the man as well as the legend. I trust this film will bring us closer to understanding his journey, his music, and continue to carry the torch of his legacy with humility and grace, and most of all, love.”

Ziggy Marley added, “I am very excited to be hands-on in working to dive deeper into sharing the legacy of who our father Bob Marley is. It’s an incredible responsibility that we take on with Reinaldo and the team at Paramount to tell the story of our father in a way that truly honors him and will also entertain, enlighten, uplift and inspire his fans and audiences around the world. It’s like opening a window that has never been open before.”

Bob Marley died in 1981 at the age of 36 after battling acral lentiginous melanoma, which is an aggressive type of skin cancer. He recently celebrated his 77th birthday, which his family celebrated with live tributes, a web series, and many other festivities.