Making a Biopic?

[Billy Pilgrim]

So a friend and I are getting ready to write a screenplay based on the life of a certain dead comedian, and we're trying to figure out how it works, legally. We plan to speak to a lawyer soon to get a breakdown, but I thought I'd come here first and see if anyone knows what we could be in for. Would we have to get the rights to his estate for the story of his life, would we have to give credit to the books we're using as our sources, and pay for the rights? Would we have to get the rights to his routines, which we plan to show much of? Hicks is dead too, so we're not sure if it's fair game, or not, but it's a story we both have immense passion for, and we want to get this sorted out as soon as possible. I don't plan to make the film any time soon, since I'm trying to get my first film finished now, and we'd like to spend as much time writing the script as possible, and we wouldn't want to see anyone beating us to it. So if anyone has any information/advice on how to go about getting a biopic made, please share it with us. Thank you.

 

[Karl151k]

I don't personally know how to acquire life-rights or anything like that, but I do have a suggestion. If you're worried about anybody beating you to writing/ making this movie before you, remove the comedian-in-question's name from your post.

 

[Batutta]

If you are using books as source, you most certainly need to get the rights to those, and you most certainly would need to get the rights to use his routines. I would not proceed AT ALL unless you get all the permissions required from all parties. He didn't die that long ago and his comedy isn't that old so it would not be in the public domain yet. Sounds like a legal minefield.