Irish Comedian Dylan Moran & Jodie Whittaker Now On Board
Glenn Leyburn and Lisa Barros D’Sa, the husband and wife duo behind the Rupert Grint vehicle “Cherrybomb,” pulled a major coup earlier this year when they managed to recruit Michael Fassbender, Steve Coogan and Robert Sheehan among others for “Good Vibrations,” their biopic of Belfast music legend Terri Hooley.
Things, however, have changed a bit since then, particularly for Fassbender who has since established himself as a bonafide tinseltown A-lister, capping it off with his Best Actor victory in Venice for Steve McQueen‘s “Shame.” Either way, it looks likes there’s been a mass exodus from the film‘s early line up with Fassbender, Coogan and Sheehan missing from the film’s finalized cast.
As none were slated to play the leading role of Belfast’s godfather of punk, though — that honor goes to Northern Ireland native, Richard Dormer — it seemingly hasn’t affected the production too much, with lensing already under way. It doesn’t exactly bode well for the project if such talent are no longer involved but rounding out the cast (which already included Dormer, Bronagh Gallagher and Liam Cunningham) are renowned Irish comedian Dylan Moran (cult favorite television series “Black Books,” “Shaun of the Dead“), Jodie Whittaker (“Attack the Block“) and Adrian Dunbar (“The Crying Game“).
Scripted by Glenn Patterson and Colin Carberry, “Good Vibrations” follows the story of Hooley as he founded the Good Vibrations record store on Belfast’s Great Victoria Street, from which a record label sprung, with bands like The Moondogs, The Shapes, Protex, The Outcasts and, most notably, The Undertones, whose song “Teenage Kicks” became the all-time favorite song of legendary British radio DJ John Peel, and one of the most seminal tracks of the era.
Soderbergh-regular David Holmes is on board to score with Andrew Eaton and Chris Martin (not that one) producing in conjuction with Canderblinks Film & Music, Revolution Films and Treasure Entertainment. [CineEuropa]