Hollywood’s coffin chasers are on the prowl. With the death of James Brown, now comes the rush to make a movie about him. Variety reports today that director Spike Lee has signed to direct a James Brown biopic. They could have at least let the body get cold before announcing it.

They already have a script which has been through many revisions, and James Brown himself was reportedly actively involved in its development. But Spike will rewrite it himself to make it not suck.

Paramount is funding it and along with the rights to Brown’s life they bought the rights to use his music in a movie about him. Brown’s life contains the requisite amount of drug use and legal trouble that has become the formula for making movies like this. Mix that with his music and we’ve got more of the same, unless Spike can find something new to do with the genre.

Spike could have the whole thing in production by late 2007, though 2008 is more likely. That’ll put it in theaters for late 2008 or 2009. I guess we’ll still remember James Brown, but won’t we be sick to death of musician biopics by then? I already am.