Family-approved Marvin Gaye documentary in the works

A feature-length documentary about Marvin Gaye is finally in the works after the late soul legend's notoriously protective family granted its approval.

Noah Media Group and Greenlight announced on Wednesday that they are developing Marvin, What's Going On? with the support of Gaye's children -- Nona, Marvin III and Frankie -- and former wife, Janis Gaye. The film, which is slated to go into production later this year, will document Gaye's rise to success by documenting the making of his 1971 album What's Going On. The pivotal Motown album was largely a response to the Vietnam War and assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.

In a joint statement, Gaye's children said, "we look forward to being a part of this cinematic journey."

"Our father was complex, but we are confident that with Noah Media Group’s attention to detail and their dedication to the truth, the positive, inspirational and aspirational aspects of his life will be handled and shared with the world in a way never seen before," they wrote. "We look forward to participating and sharing what we can through friends, family, photos, footage and priceless stories that only those who knew our father up close and personal would know, as well as his contemporaries, purists and fans who have studied him and his art over decades."

The film is set for release in 2017.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to extend the legacy of Marvin Gaye through this film and to inspire a whole new audience with this story," Greenlight's Lloyd Winston said in a statement. "Noah Media Group has a proven track record for exploring moments in history through fascinating characters and we look forward to taking this journey with them."

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