Robert Valley, a veteran animator and director probably best known for his work on Netflix sci-fi anthology Love, Death, + Robots, has been hired to direct a biopic of legendary Broadway producer Billy Rose. Titled American Rose, the film will tell the complicated story of the multi-talented producer known as much for his messy personal life as he is for his many shows.
The child of Jewish immigrants, Rose became a Broadway producer known for his massive productions. One of his most famous plays, Carmen Jones, was the first to have an all-Black cast and earned rave reviews at the time, paving the way for a more progressive Broadway landscape. It was later adapted into a feature film in 1954 with Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte.
Other productions from the mind of Rose include Jumbo, Clash By Night, and The Immoralist. Due to his heritage, he also became an outspoken critic of the U.S. during the Holocaust, railing against the country’s inaction. In his personal life, he was known for his various different romantic partners, marrying comedian Fanny Brice and later wedding famed athlete Eleanor Holm.
His marriage to Holm was particularly notorious, as it eventually ended with the pair going to war in a series of news releases and columns smearing one another. The combination of legendary producer and notorious private life make Rose a fascinating and unique figure from the history of Broadway, someone well worth their own movie.
Though Valley is best known for his animation work, American Rose is expected to be live-action. Valley has also served as the animator for some of Gorillaz’s most famous music videos, and previously worked as the animation director for Showtime’s Belushi documentary.
Producer Steven Finkelstein, who has been developing American Rose for four years, had high praise when he said Valley is “bringing his immense talent and unique artistic vision to this bespoke project and our team is thrilled beyond belief to work with him.”
There aren’t any other details regarding the project right now, but it should be one worth looking out for. Most younger, non-Broadway fans won’t have much knowledge of Rose, but his interesting life sounds worth digging into.
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