T.D. Jakes attempts to rescue 'Winnie' biopic

theGRIO REPORT - Bishop T.D. Jakes has taken over as executive producer of the Winnie Mandela biopic...

May 1, 2012

Just when we thought the Winnie Mandela biopic was dead on arrival, it has been resurrected. According to Forbes Winnie will get a fall 2012 release.

A version of the film was screened at the Toronto Film Festival in September of last year, but received mixed reviews and considerable backlash. One reason being that Jennifer Hudson and Terrence Howard star as Winnie and Nelson Mandela, rather than South African actors, but also because Winnie Mandela was never consulted during the production of the film.

WATCH A TRAILER FOR ‘WINNIE’ HERE
[youtubevid http://youtube.com/watch?v=48REgxDlvFY]

During a recent interview Mosca revealed that, since being screened at the Toronto Film Festival, Winnie has “undergone several changes” that he’s very happy with.

Bishop T.D. Jakes has reportedly taken over as executive producer and will be responsible for the marketing and distribution of Winnie. Michael Mosca and Andre Pieterse, who are the film’s original producers, said that “Jakes is putting his name on the movie in the same way that celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, and Sean [Diddy] Combs have done to build interest in a project.”

The release date for Winnie has been a mystery for what seems like ages. During an August 2011 interview with theGrio, Pieterse said he expected the film to be in theaters in just a few months. “We hope to release the film domestically in time for the Academy Awards season. Jennifer and Terrence did an incredible job,” he said.

However, the film has yet to be released.

Jakes has become an influential name in show business. He currently is using his branding power as a producer of the highly anticipated Sparkle, starring Whitney Houston. But his new venture might prove to be an uphill climb.

We now have a projected release date for the movie, but we are left with a lingering question…can Bishop Jakes save Winnie?

Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter at @WitherspoonC