Jamie Foxx has already proved his worth as Ray Charles in the biopic Ray, and we see no reason why the charismatic actor and singer shouldn’t reprise that role as James Brown’s close friend and political collaborator. 

We don’t know how much of the movie will focus on the dark side of Brown’s life—if at all—but if they choose to portray Brown’s abusive past, we can see Rosario Dawson playing Tami Terrell, who went on tour with Brown in the ‘60s and was allegedly physically abused by the singer.

Funk bassist Bootsy Collins rose to prominence along with James Brown in the 1960s. OutKast member André “3000” Benjamin could perfectly embody the eccentric Collins. 

In 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson invited James Brown to the White House. Brown was extraordinarily politically minded, and we think that a Bill Murray appearance as LBJ could hint at this aspect of Brown’s personality.

Alfred “Pee Wee” Ellis was one of James Brown’s band members and an important collaborator on many of Brown’s most significant recordings. We can’t help but see a similarity in smiles between him and comedian, Kenan Thompson.

Yes, we realize that Bruno Mars isn’t 100% a racially accurate (he's half-Filipino, half-Puerto Rican), but if his recent performance on SNL is any indication of his transformative acting powers, we’re confident he could take on the role of a young James Brown. He already has the stage presence down, and we know he can rock the pompadour.