Hirsch scores lead in indie biopic…
Late last week it emerged that a number of actors were in the mix to portray John Belushi in an indie biopic of the comedian, actor and musician. Now Variety has learned that Emile Hirsch (‘Prince Avalanche,’ ‘Into the Wild’) has landed the gig.
Adapted from the 2005 biography ‘Belushi,’ written by Belushi Pisano and Tanner Colby, the film will cover the heights of Belushi’s fame in ‘The Blues Brothers’ as Jake Blues and ‘Animal House’ as John Blutarsky along with being the biggest star on the first four seasons of ‘Saturday Night Live.’ The film will also cover Belushi’s unexpected death at age 33 from an overdose of a mixture of cocaine and heroin in March of 1982.
Screenwriter Steve Conrad (‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,’ ‘The Pursuit Of Happyness,’ ‘The Weather Man’) is behind the camera for the long-in-the-work biopic, with filming set to kick off in New York City in the spring.