Untitled Grateful Dead Biopic (Martin Scorsese, 202?)

[yoloswegmaster]

Martin Scorsese to direct a Grateful Dead biopic, with Jonah Hill starring as Jerry Garcia.

[therewillbeblus]

Mixed feelings on Hill's casting, but this sounds like the best possible route for a Dead biopic to take: All living members of the band having a role in its production, along with Scorsese's ability to reach within a film to grant space to layered character dynamics, will hopefully deter it from going down a rabbit hole focused on the Tragedy of Garcia only. Having been a dedicated fan for the majority of my life, and consuming so many of the countless books full of diverse narratives out there, it's hard to imagine exactly which route Scorsese and co. will choose to translate this expansive collection of stories and moods into one. What a long career to cover- and the outlandish anecdotes alone could populate a feature twice the length of The Wolf of Wall Street by themselves, as well as contribute a similar and perhaps even more perverse tone!

[flyonthewall2983]

Sounds a lot better then the Allman Brothers movie that’s just been announced. The author of what I’d say is the most comprehensive book on their work out there addressed it on his social media saying that the source of that was denounced by the band.

[aox]

I'm a huge Dead fan, but this isn't necessary IMO.

But, as we have seen with some recent successful biopics, I hope they focus on one short period of time and not their whole 30-year career. Given that this is most likely servicing Boomer nostalgia, I have to assume 1965-1968 would be the most compelling cinematically. I can see Scorsese having the power to transform Haight-Ashbury back to the Summer of Love with the Pranksters and the Acid Tests peripherally.

[hearthesilence]

It probably won't happen - Scorsese's attached but the two reported screenwriters are still writing the script and to be brutally honest, a lot of their biopic scripts have a pretty bland, paint-by-numbers approach. I can see him dropping out with no decent screenplay ever materializing.

[Altair]

Yes, I foresee this going the way of Scorsese's Sinatra biopic - into the backdraw. Scorsese, like Spielberg, always seems to attach himself to numerous projects at once and then eventually makes the one he likes the best out of those options.

[therewillbeblus]

It probably won't happen - Scorsese's attached but the two reported screenwriters are still writing the script and to be brutally honest, a lot of their biopic scripts have a pretty bland, paint-by-numbers approach. I can see him dropping out with no decent screenplay ever materializing.

Really? I'm not as great a fan of their work as many, but I'd hardly call Ed Wood, The People vs. Larry Flint, or Man on the Moon conventional biopics! These guys have been around the industry a while getting their projects made, so operating on an assumption that a script doesn't materialize decent enough to please the producers involved seems inevidently conclusive

[domino harvey]

I too can’t abide this shade directed at the authors of both Problem Child movies

[cdnchris]

And Problem Child appears in Scorsese's Cape Fear. Everything comes full-circle.

[hearthesilence]

I liked Ed Wood, that was their first, but The People vs. Larry Flint and especially Man on the Moon and Big Eyes were pretty much by-the-numbers.

[therewillbeblus]

I liked Ed Wood, that was their first, but The People vs. Larry Flint and especially Man on the Moon and Big Eyes were pretty much by-the-numbers.

I don't particularly like any of them that much, but I'd say they were all pretty creative compared to the average biopic.

Throwing shade on these guys isn't the issue, it's the assumption that their product won't be well-received enough to cause the project itself to entirely collapse due to the perceived quality of their script, given their history of getting projects made, even subpar ones! And I kinda like the Problem Child movies..

[hearthesilence]

Ah got it. Well, to be fair, the project wouldn't be collapsing - I should've clarified, but I only meant Scorsese passing on directing. It's very possible Apple will like what they've done and find someone else who likes it.

[knives]

I too can’t abide this shade directed at the authors of both Problem Child movies

That’s actually how they sold their Ed Wood script. Something like a film about the worst films ever by the directors of Problem Child.

I will put in a good word for Screwed which is one of those rare Norm MacDonald films. Also I just really like their style. Big Eyes was absolutely brilliant to me.

[domino harvey]

I saw Screwed in the theatre and was the only one in there. That’s the only thing I remember about it

[knives]

It played on base for way too long so we saw it probably five times in theaters.

[therewillbeblus]

I thought this was pretty funnyShow

[therewillbeblus]

Jonah Hill explained origin of the project to Jimmy Fallon as Instagram + self-doubt + ego

[flyonthewall2983]

I wonder what capacity the surviving members will serve in its production, say compared to Brian May and Roger Taylor who were the producers, or Roger Daltrey trying to get a Keith Moon movie made.

[therewillbeblus]

The original article said the surviving members will serve as producers, so I imagine they will be involved given Scorsese's tendency to include the subjects of nonfiction biopics in his films' constructions

[knives]

Anyone else reading the thread title consistently as Ungrateful Dead Biopic?