Film Music Reporter

Variety is reporting that Quincy Jones has signed on to score the drama The Butler. The film is directed by Lee Daniels and stars Forest Whitaker as Eugene Allen, a White House employee who served eight First Families over the course of three decades. Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Ami Ameen, Alan Rickman, James Marsden, Jane Fonda and Robin Williams who plays President Dwight Eisenhower are co-starring in the film written by Daniels and Danny Strong (Recount) based on Wil Haygood’s Washington Post article about Allen. Daniels is also producing the drama with Hilary Shor (Children of Men), Cassian Elwes and Pam Williams for Laura Zisken Productions. The film marks the first scoring assignment of the multiple Academy Award-nominated composer (The Color Purple, The Wiz) in several years. Daniels’ last two films Precious and The Paperboy featured scores by Mario Grigorov. The Butler is currently being shot in New Orleans and is expected to be released in 2013.