The film adaptation of Mötley Crüe's 2001 autobiography The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band has yielded itself a director that knows a thing or two about documenting decadent behaviour: Jeff Tremaine, the filmmaker behind the new Jackass film Bad Grandpa.
The move was confirmed late last week, with the director telling Deadline that he's had the project on his mind for a number of years.
"I've been offered a lot of scripts but Dirt is something I pursued with everything I had," Tremaine said. "I've wanted to make this going back to 2001, when we were just planning the first Jackass movie and I found out that David Gale at MTV Films had just optioned the book."
According to Tremaine, while he was prepping the first Jackass film, he and the rest of the Jackass crew fell for the book and its portrayal of the Hollywood metal outfit's wild ways.
"We thought we were being crazy on the road. You read about these guys and it was like 10 times worse, though I think we'd done stuff that stands up to anybody else," he said. "I connected with that book on so many levels. From a band of brothers that gets ripped apart and then pulls back together, or being part of a group that is expected to behave badly, and what happens to you when that becomes your expectation. What happens when everybody encourages you and gives you money to be the worst behaved you can be? You can do no wrong, and the worse you do, the more you're celebrated. It is a story that is somehow familiar to me."
Casting has yet to be announced, but filming is set to shoot early next year. Though the book was written by the Crüe's Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars (with assistances from Neil Strauss), the script is being worked on by Tom Kapinos (Californication).
While the band's rampant drug use and sexual activity led to some amusing anecdotes, Tremaine noted that the movie isn't going to be played just for laughs. While he didn't go into specifics, dark events like Nikki Sixx's multiple overdoses or Vince Neil's 1984 drinking and driving accident that led to the death of Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle could factor into the film.
"Some of what they went through is funny, but overall this movie is not going to be a comedy. It's pretty dark. I think fans of what I've done will like this movie, but it's not going to make you fall out of your chair laughing."
The move was confirmed late last week, with the director telling Deadline that he's had the project on his mind for a number of years.
"I've been offered a lot of scripts but Dirt is something I pursued with everything I had," Tremaine said. "I've wanted to make this going back to 2001, when we were just planning the first Jackass movie and I found out that David Gale at MTV Films had just optioned the book."
According to Tremaine, while he was prepping the first Jackass film, he and the rest of the Jackass crew fell for the book and its portrayal of the Hollywood metal outfit's wild ways.
"We thought we were being crazy on the road. You read about these guys and it was like 10 times worse, though I think we'd done stuff that stands up to anybody else," he said. "I connected with that book on so many levels. From a band of brothers that gets ripped apart and then pulls back together, or being part of a group that is expected to behave badly, and what happens to you when that becomes your expectation. What happens when everybody encourages you and gives you money to be the worst behaved you can be? You can do no wrong, and the worse you do, the more you're celebrated. It is a story that is somehow familiar to me."
Casting has yet to be announced, but filming is set to shoot early next year. Though the book was written by the Crüe's Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars (with assistances from Neil Strauss), the script is being worked on by Tom Kapinos (Californication).
While the band's rampant drug use and sexual activity led to some amusing anecdotes, Tremaine noted that the movie isn't going to be played just for laughs. While he didn't go into specifics, dark events like Nikki Sixx's multiple overdoses or Vince Neil's 1984 drinking and driving accident that led to the death of Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle could factor into the film.
"Some of what they went through is funny, but overall this movie is not going to be a comedy. It's pretty dark. I think fans of what I've done will like this movie, but it's not going to make you fall out of your chair laughing."
