Mick Jagger's producer plans: 'Fresh Tears,' '20 Feet From Stardom' spinoffs
Mick Jagger is on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter's issue dated Jan. 31, 2014. In the accompanying article (which was published on The Hollywood Reporter's website on
Jan. 22, 2014) includes an exclusive interview with Jagger and more
information on some of the film and TV projects that he is producing
through his Jagged Films. The article notes that Jagger is also planning to return to acting in movies.
The most recent film he did as an actor was 2002's "The Man From
Elysian Fields," in which he had a supporting role playing the owner of a
male escort service.
Jagger's upcoming projects include:
As previously reported, Jagger and Pearman will produce the movie through Jagged Films, while Brian Grazer and Erica Huggins will produce through Imagine Entertainment. The "Get on Up" screenplay was written by Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, who co-wrote the 2010 movie "Fair Game."
In the article, Jagger responds to criticism that there are no African-Americans who are producing or directing "Get on Up." Jagger commented: "By that logic, only English people can play English people, only Americans can play Americans. I mean, come on. Look at [Cate Blanchett's] 'Elizabeth.' That was a really great movie directed by an Indian [Shekhar Kapur]. I don't care if you come from Timbuktu or Tonkin or, you know, London. It doesn't matter."
The article also includes information that most Rolling Stones fans already know: Jagger does not want to write a memoir. Jagger told The Hollywood Reporter: "I think the rock 'n' roll memoir is a glutted market. I'd rather be doing something new. I'd rather be making new films, making new music, be touring. If someone wants to know what I did in 1965, they can look it up on Wikipedia without even spending any money."
This is not news to many Rolling Stones fans. In the mid-1980s, Jagger signed a deal to write a memoir, but the deal fell apart when he refused to do the book in a tell-all style. There were many reports that creating the book was a disappointing ordeal because Jagger said he could not or would not remember important details of his life. Whether Jagger's selective memory was faked or not, Jagger ended up returning the advance money to the book publisher, and the deal was cancelled. He has said in many interviews since then that he will never write a memoir.
As previously reported, Jagged Films is also producing an Elvis Presley biopic. Variety first reported that "Last Train to Memphis," an Elvis Presley biopic, is going to be directed by Kevin Macdonald. The movie will be released by Fox 2000 on a date to be announced. According to Variety: "Jagger and Victoria Pearman will produce through their Jagged Films banner along with Steven Bing, who will produce through his Shangri-La shingle. John Fusco is adapting the script." The search is on to find the actor who will play Presley in the movie. Actors can submit submit audition videos by singing six to eight bars of any Presley song at the Young Elvis Casting website.
Meanwhile, the still-untitled TV series that Jagger and Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese are executive producing for HBO has hired writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien ("Ocean’s Thirteen," "Runner Runner") to write and direct episodes of the show if HBO picks up the show for a series, according to Deadline. "Boardwalk Empire" executive producers Scorsese and Terence Winter are involved in the show's pilot episode, which "Breaking Bad's" George Mastras has written and Scorsese has committed to direct. According to Deadline: "Scorsese, Jagger, Winter, Jagged Films’ Victoria Pearman, Sikelia president Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Rick Yorn are executive producers."
Emmy-winning actor Bobby Cannavale ("Boardwalk Empire") is attached to star in the Jagger-produced TV series, which begins filming in 2014. According to Deadline: "The project follows the exploits of Richie (Cannavale), a cocaine-fueled record exec in New York City circa 1977, when punk, disco and a new form of music called hip-hop collided. Richie is a talented A&R guy who is elevated to run a big label, even though he thinks he’s better suited to focusing on
News about the still-untitled TV series, which focuses on the rock-music industry, first broke in July 2010, when it was initially reported that the series was tentatively titled "A History of Music," and it would be about two friends and their 40 years in the music industry together. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Winter completed and turned in the pilot episode's script to HBO in 2011. But now, the pilot has been written by Mastras.
Jagger's previous foray into executive producing a TV series was the short-lived 2007 sitcom "The Knights of Prosperity," which aired in the U.S. on ABC.
Jagger's upcoming projects include:
- "Fresh Tears," a movie "with Iain Softley in talks to direct. Jagger will play a supporting role in the coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the music industry, which reunites the 'Hitchcock' team of producer Tom Thayer and writer John McLaughlin," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
- "Tiny Problems of White People" with "Dallas Buyers Club" producer Rachel Winter. "In the family drama written by Will Aldis, Jagger will play a mythical character named DeVere," according to The Hollywood Reporter.
- A scripted drama series and a Broadway musical based on "20 Feet From Stardom," the 2013 Oscar-nominated documentary about backup singers who work for superstars. Jagger did not produce movie, but he is one of the people interviewed in the documentary, which also features Rolling Stones backup singers Lisa Fischer (who has toured with the Rolling Stones since 1989) and Merry Clayton, who famously did backup vocals for the Rolling Stones classic song "Gimme Shelter."
As previously reported, Jagger and Pearman will produce the movie through Jagged Films, while Brian Grazer and Erica Huggins will produce through Imagine Entertainment. The "Get on Up" screenplay was written by Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth, who co-wrote the 2010 movie "Fair Game."
In the article, Jagger responds to criticism that there are no African-Americans who are producing or directing "Get on Up." Jagger commented: "By that logic, only English people can play English people, only Americans can play Americans. I mean, come on. Look at [Cate Blanchett's] 'Elizabeth.' That was a really great movie directed by an Indian [Shekhar Kapur]. I don't care if you come from Timbuktu or Tonkin or, you know, London. It doesn't matter."
The article also includes information that most Rolling Stones fans already know: Jagger does not want to write a memoir. Jagger told The Hollywood Reporter: "I think the rock 'n' roll memoir is a glutted market. I'd rather be doing something new. I'd rather be making new films, making new music, be touring. If someone wants to know what I did in 1965, they can look it up on Wikipedia without even spending any money."
This is not news to many Rolling Stones fans. In the mid-1980s, Jagger signed a deal to write a memoir, but the deal fell apart when he refused to do the book in a tell-all style. There were many reports that creating the book was a disappointing ordeal because Jagger said he could not or would not remember important details of his life. Whether Jagger's selective memory was faked or not, Jagger ended up returning the advance money to the book publisher, and the deal was cancelled. He has said in many interviews since then that he will never write a memoir.
As previously reported, Jagged Films is also producing an Elvis Presley biopic. Variety first reported that "Last Train to Memphis," an Elvis Presley biopic, is going to be directed by Kevin Macdonald. The movie will be released by Fox 2000 on a date to be announced. According to Variety: "Jagger and Victoria Pearman will produce through their Jagged Films banner along with Steven Bing, who will produce through his Shangri-La shingle. John Fusco is adapting the script." The search is on to find the actor who will play Presley in the movie. Actors can submit submit audition videos by singing six to eight bars of any Presley song at the Young Elvis Casting website.
Meanwhile, the still-untitled TV series that Jagger and Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese are executive producing for HBO has hired writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien ("Ocean’s Thirteen," "Runner Runner") to write and direct episodes of the show if HBO picks up the show for a series, according to Deadline. "Boardwalk Empire" executive producers Scorsese and Terence Winter are involved in the show's pilot episode, which "Breaking Bad's" George Mastras has written and Scorsese has committed to direct. According to Deadline: "Scorsese, Jagger, Winter, Jagged Films’ Victoria Pearman, Sikelia president Emma Tillinger Koskoff and Rick Yorn are executive producers."
Emmy-winning actor Bobby Cannavale ("Boardwalk Empire") is attached to star in the Jagger-produced TV series, which begins filming in 2014. According to Deadline: "The project follows the exploits of Richie (Cannavale), a cocaine-fueled record exec in New York City circa 1977, when punk, disco and a new form of music called hip-hop collided. Richie is a talented A&R guy who is elevated to run a big label, even though he thinks he’s better suited to focusing on
News about the still-untitled TV series, which focuses on the rock-music industry, first broke in July 2010, when it was initially reported that the series was tentatively titled "A History of Music," and it would be about two friends and their 40 years in the music industry together. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Winter completed and turned in the pilot episode's script to HBO in 2011. But now, the pilot has been written by Mastras.
Jagger's previous foray into executive producing a TV series was the short-lived 2007 sitcom "The Knights of Prosperity," which aired in the U.S. on ABC.
