Sopranos star James Gandolfini will star with Jesse L Martin in in Sexual Healing, the story of the last years of singer Marvin Gaye which Gandolfini's company Attaboy Films.

Gary Hamilton's Arclight Films will executive produce the film and handle international sales on the film which is budgeted in the $15m region.

Martin, whose credits include Rent and Law And Order, will play Gaye and Gandolfini will play Gaye's manager Freddy Cousaert. Lauren Goodman is directing from her own screenplay which is loosely based on Steven Turner's book Trouble Man. It follows Gaye's life from his parting with Motown to his self-imposed exile in Europe and his relationship with Cousaert, the promoter who guided the singer through the recording of his biggest-selling album 'Midnight Love'.

Principal photography is scheduled to commence on April 15 on locations in the US and Belgium.

Gandolfini and Alexandra Ryan are producing for Attaboy, together with Ayo Davis, Efuru Flowers and Roger Haber. Victor Syrmis is executive producer with Hamilton.

Arclight Films will introduce the film to distributors at EFM in Berlin next week.

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