General rule of thumb: biopics on singers/bands are painfully awful. I’ll let folks debate the merits of the recent Johnny Cash and Ray Charles features but this July there are a couple of legendary singers that might get a screen treatment worth the brouhaha.
Commencing next week we have Todd Haynes embarking on his Bob Dylan journey with I'm not There and just a couple of weeks back Anton Corbijn started filming his directorial feature film debut with Control. Both will most likely be unveiled to the world during the same week at - Cannes 07.
Today we received a first look at actor Sam Riley as Joy Division’s Ian Curtis. Fans of Curtis and Joy Division should rest assured that if there is one person on this planet who should even come close to creating such a portrait on the late singer – it is Corbijn who perhaps can frame the story best and over the years has been up close to the singer and band personas.
Corbijn was a fan of Joy Division from the beginning – he moved from Holland just to photograph the band – and from there he developed a friendship that lead him to direct what was to be the posthumous video Atmosphere.
Below, (after the picture) I’ve included a portion of the press release which offers more info on: the gist of the project, the cast breakdown and background, info on those participating on the soundtrack and some comments by producer Orian Williams.
Click here for a larger version.
CONTROL spans the last few years of Ian Curtis’ life leading up to his tragic suicide in 1980. It charts the struggle between his enduring love for his wife and his burgeoning relationship with his girlfriend, his decimating bouts with epilepsy, his incredible talent and his all consuming performances with Joy Division. The film expands on Deborah Curtis’ book ‘Touching from a Distance’, a personal account of her life with Ian Curtis. To achieve a fuller account of the man and his life, script writer Matt Greenhalgh spoke to those closest to Curtis including Annik Honore, who was in a relationship with Ian Curtis at the time of his death. Previously, Annik had declined to discuss the relationship.
The cast includes Sam Riley (Ian Curtis), Samantha Morton (Deborah Curtis), Alexandra Maria Lara (Annik Honore), James Anthony Pearson (Bernard Sumner), Joe Anderson, (Hooky), Harry Treadaway (Stephen Morris), Toby Kebbell (Rob Gretton) and Craig Parkinson (Tony Wilson).
For Sam Riley the part of Ian Curtis marks his first major film role. Despite many actors auditioning for the role, the director and producers felt Sam was the only one that immediately ‘got’ Ian. Samantha Morton, who will be playing Deborah Curtis, has been nominated for two Academy Awards. Alexandra Maria Lara (Annik Honore) is a well known actress in Germany, she broke through internationally playing Hitler’s secretary in Downfall. Alexandra will soon be seen in a leading role in Francis Ford Coppola’s Youth Without Youth. Toby Kebbell (Rob Gretton) won critical praise for his brilliant portrayal of Anthony in Dead Man’s Shoes. Harry Treadaway (Stephen Morris) was seen in his first leading role in Brothers of the Head. Tony Wilson will be played by Craig Parkinson. Craig has just finished filming Angels & Virgins and has also been in a number of British Television programmes. Control is the first feature film role for Joe Anderson (Hooky).
The soundtrack will feature original tracks recorded by Warsaw and Joy Division from the late 70’s and 80’s. Other Musicians already confirmed to take part in the soundtrack include David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Roxy Music, Lou Reed and the Buzzcocks. New Order has also confirmed they will compose the score for the film.
Producer Orian Williams says “I’ve always been a fan of Anton’s work and have forever associated him with the look and feel of Joy Division. It’s impossible to overstate the influence of Joy Division’s music. Bands like U2 and Nirvana have drawn upon their atmosphere and emotion for many years. Their mystery and the fact that no full video or film documentary footage currently exists to represent Joy Division, makes Control one of the most anticipated films of recent times”.
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