And the wonderful few weeks for musician biopics continues. Hot off Sam Cooke and Bobby Fuller inching closer, cult favorite Jeff Buckley, who also died young, is getting his own shot at big screen stardom. Director Jake Scott, probably best known for Welcome To The Rileys, will helm with Buckley’s own mother stepping in as executive producer.
The still-untitled project will follow the singer’s life in some capacity, though it’s unclear whether Scott’s work will also tackle Jeff’s famous father Tim. He too died young, and a comprehensive biography of the two men written by David Browne has been optioned to help retool a script written by Ryan Jaffe.
Unlike most rock stars who perished early, Jeff Buckley died not from drugs or alcohol but from jumping in the water to take a swim on a seemingly calm day. His one completed album, Grace, eventually became one of the more talked about recordings ever released. Everyone seems to agree it’s good but whether it’s very good, great or one of the best ever is a serious point of contention. For whatever reason, most people not very into music have only a vague idea of Grace’s existence. Those pretty into music seem to think it’s phenomenal, and those obsessed with music seem to think it’s been slightly overrated based on his early death. All agree he has one of the best voices ever recorded.
According to Deadline, all involved are hoping to get the Jeff Buckley biopic in production by the Fall. No word on who might play the singer, but with many actors also being ardent music fans, one could expect plenty will be clamoring for the lead. For some reason, I feel like James Franco would eat this project up, but I have absolutely no evidence to support this casting theory.
