'A Change is Gonna Come': Sam Cooke Movie Moves Forward
by Elizabeth Sexton
Legendary soul singer Sam Cook is one step closer to the big screen after screenwriters have finished work on a script about his life.
The same screenwriters from the all-Beatles musical “Across the Universe” have completed their adaption of a Cooke biography. Now the movie needs a director.
Odds are, it won’t be long - as Cooke sang, shortly before he was shot dead in 1964, “A Change is Gonna Come.”
Cooke’s entire life will be covered within the movie, which includes his years as a gospel singer, pop star, civil rights activist and a label owner/music publisher.
The only authorized documentary on Cooke “Sam Cooke: Legend," won a Grammy for longform video.
Cooke’s timeless songs are considered trans-generational and he was considered one of the first R&B performers to draw both black and white audiences. He is known for classics including “You Send Me,” “Only Sixteen” and “Twistin’ the Night Away.”
As the film moves forward in search of a director, whispers for the title role begin to grow. Will Smith is among those seen as a likely candidate. Online comment boards also show fans like Usher, Denzel Washington and John Legend for the role.