George Jones’ Wife on Upcoming Biopic: ‘I Don’t Want Any Lies’
George Jones was almost as famous for his offstage exploits as for his iconic music, and his colorful life is coming to the big screen in a film that his wife promises will be an honest look the country icon.
28 Entertainment and the George Jones Estate have partnered to fast-track No Show Jones, which has already been in development for several years. The producers spent many hours with Jones in his last years, and his wife, Nancy, will serve as an executive producer on the film. 28 Entertainment's Brian A. Hoffman and the film's original script writer, Dennis Baxter, will co-produce, and they have brought writer/producer Alan Wenkus on board to flesh out the script. Wenkus is well-known for the meticulous research he put into writing his script for Straight Outta Compton, the upcoming biopic of N.W.A.
Wenkus is excited to be involved in the project. “George Jones literally saved country music when rock and roll almost swallowed it up," he says in a press release. "He had such an entertaining life. It’s got it all. Love, loss, redemption and a lot of whiskey…basically everything George was singing about."
Nancy Jones says Wenkus is the right man for the job. He signed on for the project after reading an early script draft.
"He loved it, and he loves George," she tells Rolling Stone. "We brought him to town, absolutely loved him, and we've been working together since November. He understands what I'm wanting. I don't want any lies — I want it exactly the way George started the [script] when he started it six years ago."
Jones has given Wenkus extensive interviews about her late husband's childhood, marriages and career. No Show Jones will chronicle the country legend's ups and downs, including his decades-long struggle with alcohol and substance abuse, and even his famously tempestuous marriage to Tammy Wynette.
"We'll definitely have Tammy in there," she says. "She was a big part of his life, and I love Tammy. I thought the world of Tammy and we ended up being best friends. I have quite a bit of things [in the script] that we've talked about, me and her. I will do her justice. If George was a butt with her, I'll tell that too. It will be an honest, honest movie."
Final casting decisions have not yet been announced for No Show Jones. Nancy Jones says she would like to see Bradley Cooper or Brad Pitt as George Jones, and Sandra Bullock or Ashley Judd in her role.
Country Music's Most Adorable Couples