April 3, 2000 9:00

HENDRIX THE MOVIE ON IT'S WAY

Filming of guitar god [b]Hendrix's[/b] biopic underway to mark the 30th anniversary of his death...

The story of JIMI HENDRIX'S life is finally being made into a feature film to commemorate the 30th anniversary of his death, nme.com can reveal.

Shooting for 'Hendrix' is currently underway in Toronto and it will be broadcast in the US on cable channel American Showtime Network this September, before it gets an international theatrical release.

Newcomer Wood Harris plays the title role and according to many production insiders was born to portray Hendrix.

Actor Christian Potenza, who plays ex-Animal/Hendrix manager Chas Chandler, said: "He's dynamite in the role. Wood is Jimi in his looks and attitude...he's got all the moves down.

"We're going to be recreating Monterey, Woodstock and some other key shows," Potenza continued. "It's going to be pretty crazy, with a lot of people involved in the crowd scenes."

Billy 'Titanic' Zane is also in the movie as Hendrix's business manager, Michael Jeffery. Renowned Canadian rapper, Michee Mee is cast as Jimi's possessive girlfriend, Devon Wilson.

Much of the script is based upon first-hand accounts from Executive Producer Ron Terry, a 1960s promoter and "music business associate" of Jimi's.

However, Experience Hendrix Inc. , the family-run company that regained control of Hendrix's estate in 1996, was not consulted for the film project. Consequently, no agreement has been made regarding the inclusion of Hendrix's music. Only songs that Jimi borrowed from other artists - such as 'Hey Joe', 'Wild Thing' and 'All Along the Watchtower' - will be featured.

One production insider told nme.com: "We can't go into too much detail about that, but for the most part we're going with the music he was known for, but not necessarily music he'd written."

Without such trademark songs as 'Purple Haze' or 'Voodoo Chile', some fans may find this film a little strange. Bob Hendrix, vice-president of Experience Hendrix Inc., echoes this sentiment. "I don't want to disparage on those folks", he said, "but I was surprised they never contacted us to inquire about licensing. The bottom line is that they can do whatever they want. I just don't know what kind of film it would be without the music of Jimi Hendrix."