Bob Marley Documentary Switches Directors, Scorcese Drops Out

Martin Scorcese recently gave up his seat in the director's chair to Jonathan Demme for an upcoming Bob Marley documentary.

According to Scorcese's camp, the award-winning director had to pull out because of "scheduling conflicts."

But the guy taking his place is no slouch. Demme directed Beloved, Philadelphia and Silence of the Lambs among other big feature films, as well as a concert documentary on Neil Young and music videos for Bruce Springsteen. The director is also related to Ted Demme, the creator of Yo! MTV Raps.

The still unnamed Marley doc is slated for global release on Feb. 6, 2010, the 65th anniversary of the icon's birth, as reported by Billboard.

The Marleys are keeping Bob films under family control, with son Ziggy Marley set to co-executive producing this documentary and Bob's wife Rita Marley executive producing a seperate biopic on the late legend.

As previously reported, Lauryn Hill, who is married to the reggae legend's son with Janet Hunt, Rohan Marley, may star in that film. That flick is based on Rita's 2004 autobiography, No Woman No Cry: My Life With Bob Marley and will chronicle Bob's childhood, the pair's rocky 15-year marriage and his 1981 death from cancer.

Ziggy's movie is a Tuff Gong Pictures and Shangri-La Entertainment release, while Rita's rendition is produced by the Weinstein Co.