Lashana Lynch will play Bob Marley's wife, Rita, in the upcoming biopic.

Lashana Lynch has been cast in the upcoming Bob Marley biopic from Paramount, according to reports from Deadline. The casting search was supposedly rigorous, with quite a few actors considered for the role, similar to the process that Kingsley Ben-Adir went through to land the part of the reggae legend Bob Marley.

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The studio would only look for someone of Jamaican descent, and following chemistry test readings with Ben-Adir and the approval of the Marley family, Lynch was cast in the role of Rita. Reinaldo Marcus Green is helming the film, known for his previous work on Will Smith's King Richard and We Own This City, with the former receiving an Oscar nomination for Best Picture earlier this year. Frank E. Flowers and Terence Winter are writing the screenplay, with Cedella Marley, Rita Marley, Ziggy Marley, and Robert Teitel producing the biopic.

The film should follow the singer's life as he released iconic hits throughout his illustrious career, introducing a generation to reggae music. In addition, Marley was known for his time as a musician and political activist, and his love life with Rita will be a central focus of the overall story of Bob Marley. Unfortunately, the legendary singer lost his life in a battle with cancer in 1981 at the young age of 36.

Lashana Lynch is a rising star in the industry, appearing in Captain Marvel as Maria Rambeau in 2019, then following up her MCU debut with No Time to Die in 2021. She most recently had a minor role as a Captain Marvel variant in the 2022 blockbuster Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She's proven herself as an actress in Hollywood and should see more opportunities come her way shortly. Her next projects include Sony's The Woman King and Netflix's Matilda. The untitled Bob Marley Biopic is set to hit theaters on Jan. 12, 2024.

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Although the Bob Marley biopic will likely cover bits of the entire signer's life, director Reinaldo Marcus Green says the film will primarily focus on the Exodus album. The studio album was recorded in 1977 and was part of Bob Marley and the Wailers. In an interview with Collider, Green shared more of his goals with the upcoming biopic.

"I think it's [about] finding that right window into his life. Our film starts in '76 and really it's about the making of Exodus. So that's primarily the window that we're going to focus on, with obviously, some flashes to his early life."

The Exodus album is an interesting time period to cover, as this followed the assassination attempt on Marley's life. Getting an inside look into his thoughts during this era would be a great subject to cover in the biopic and could help fans see the artist in an entirely new light. Look out for more promotional material, and news from the Bob Marley film as its release creeps ever closer in January 2024.