Letter calls for filming in town

When a major movie about Augusta's biggest celebrity hits theaters, Johnny Hensley wants to see the funk singer's real hometown on the big screen.

On Monday, the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority member sent a letter to director Spike Lee, inviting him to film part of his upcoming James Brown biopic here.

"I think it would be a big plus for them to say, 'Filmed on location in Augusta,' " he said. "Wouldn't that be tremendous?"

Mr. Hensley, the chairman of the authority's Marketing, Entertainment and Public Relations committee and a real estate broker, sent the letter Monday on RE/MAX of Augusta letterhead.

"We, here in Augusta, have been VERY EXCITED to hear that you have the film rights to the James Brown bio/pic," the letter says. "I spoke with our Mayor today, Deke Copenhaver, and we are totally in agreement that we here in the City of Augusta would and WILL do anything in our power to assist you and your company in any production requirements you may have that we can facilitate.

"That includes, but not limited to, location shots and the use of the James Brown Arena, which, of course, was named in the Godfather's honor," the letter says.

Mr. Hensley, who has been trying to use Mr. Brown's legacy to promote the civic center complex, said he would hate to see scenes taking place in Augusta filmed elsewhere, which could be done without audiences knowing the difference.

That is what happened with an Augusta scene in the 2004 Ray Charles movie, Ray , and in 1998's Why Do Fools Fall in Love, about singer Frankie Lymon.

Mr. Copenhaver doesn't want to see that happen again either -- not this time.

"It's extremely important," the mayor said. "I spoke to James Brown about it, and he wanted it filmed here, at least parts of it."

The city would get an economic boost from a production of that scale, Mr. Copenhaver said, and Augusta is in a good position to land it with state legislation passed last year giving movie-makers tax credits of up to 30 percent. Get Low , a period movie starring Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek and Bill Murray, had scenes filmed in nearby Crawfordville, Ga., last week.

Coliseum Authority Chairman Richard Isdell said he likes the letter Mr. Hensley sent, other than that he misspelled the recipient's name as "Sike Lee."

Mr. Hensley didn't get the authority's approval before offering use of the arena, but Mr. Isdell said board members would probably back him up regardless.

"We're glad someone is doing something, at least in a positive light, as opposed to some things that have been done in the past," the chairman said.

Mr. Lee, the Academy Award-nominated director of Do The Right Thing and Malcolm X , signed on to direct a film based on Mr. Brown's life story shortly after his death in 2006. He has since said Wesley Snipes will star, with Mr. Brown's voice used in music numbers.

Though he recently said he was moving forward with the project, it's unlikely filming will start any time soon. Mr. Lee is currently working on a sequel to Inside Man and a Michael Jordan documentary; Mr. Snipes is appealing income tax evasion charges; and Mr. Brown's estate is still tied up in litigation.

Mr. Lee's publicist did not return phone messages Tuesday.

Staff writer Stephen Uhles contributed to this article.

Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.