CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 16: Actress Zoe Saldana attends “The Tree Of Life†premiere during the 64th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 16, 2011 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Cynthia Mort, writer of Jodie Foster’s The Brave One and a half-dozen Roseanne episodes, has had a Nina Simone biopic in the works for a few years. Now Zoe Saldana has stepped up for the title role, a spot Mary J. Blige had once occupied. David Oyelowo (The Help, The Last King of Scotland) will co-star as Simone’s manager. Production begins in October. Watching Nina perform “Ne Me Quitte Pas†is an acceptable way to celebrate.