The Smiley Smile Message Board

This ran in Howie Edelson's nationally syndicated radio feed today...


BEACH BOY BIOPIC LOSES LEADING MAN
by Howie Edelson

The upcoming biopic of late Beach Boy Dennis Wilson, called The Drummer, has run into a major snag with the loss of leading man and executive producer, Aaron Eckhart, who was slated to portray Wilson. Jennifer Wilson, Dennis' daughter and one of the project's producers, revealed to us that Eckhart has bowed out of the role as the Beach Boys' co-founder. Actress Vera Farmiga has signed on to play Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie, Dennis' late-'70s love interest. Farmiga is best known for her Oscar nominated performance opposite George Clooney in 2009's Up In the Air.

Also cast are the roles of Jennifer Wilson -- Chloe Moretz, and Harry Potter star Rupert Grint as Wilson's early-'70s pal, Stan Shapiro. There's been no start date announced for the film and it remains unclear how Eckhart's defection will hamper the movie's chances for a wide release once production gets off the ground. Dennis Wilson co-founded the Beach Boys in 1961 and drowned in 1983 at age 39.

The Drummer is being headed up by husband and wife team Randall Miller and Jody Savin, who were behind the recent Sundance Festival hit Bottle Shock. The pair is currently in production in Savannah, Georgia on the movie, CBGB, based on Hilly Kristal and his legendary Lower East Side Manhattan club, which spawned the U.S. punk movement. Rupert Grint also appears as Cheetah Chrome and Foo Fighter drummer, Taylor Hawkins -- who recently added vocals to Dennis Wilson's long-unfinished '70's track "Holy Man" -- will star as Iggy Pop.

In late 1977, Dennis Wilson had planned a short tour to promote his solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue, which was receiving rave reviews at the time of its original release. Dennis pulled the plug on the trek due to several reasons, including a lack of money for a horn section and string ensemble. It's recently come to light that he faced an ultimatum from certain members of the Beach Boys and their management at the time, stating that if he left to temporarily pursue a solo career, he would be kicked out of the band.

One of Wilson's closest friends, photographer and filmmaker Ed Roach, says that he pleaded with Dennis not to back out of touring behind Pacific Ocean Blue: "He was very nervous about going out as 'headliner,' as 'the act,' y'know? I mean, the lack of confidence in himself really came out. He could mesmerize an audience, but as far as being the one to draw them in and being the main act to come out -- it scared him a little bit, I think. And I really think he was very leery of ever actually doing it. And it was such a shame because that first tour was (going to be) so beautiful. The places he was going to play and the sizes and the houses and everything, and the show that he had conceptualized and that he put together."

Longtime Beach Boys and Brian Wilson sideman Jeff Foskett -- who's currently on the road with the Beach Boys -- recalled to us that upon joining the group on tour in 1981, Dennis initially viewed him with pure suspicion: "Oh Dennis, absolutely. Because Michael (Love) had asked me to join the band, and I guess that wasn't something that he really wanted, y'know? But then after my first show, he came up to me and shook my hand and he bowed his head and he said, 'Thank you.' And I said, 'Man, what a compliment coming from you.' And he said, 'Y'know, you really learned the music and you really make it sound great, so thanks a lot." And that was really a compliment and then he and I became very close that day."

well I guess my early prediction of Eckhart as Dennis is now wrong.  

That sucks, guess he couldn't handle it.  That's still a stellar cast, I think it all depends on getting a proper lead if the others want to stay in it.  Losing him as executive producer doesn't mean anything at least.  I wonder when the movie outlets are gonna start reporting on this. 

nooooooooooooooooooooooo :( WHY

I think might as well put a stake in this one for the time being.  Eckhart was supposedly doing a lot of work to get ready for the role, it's gonna take someone time even if they found someone to get prepared.  I guess it's possible he wasn't actually doing what he says he was doing and had to bow out because he didn't have time. 

 :wall

Edit: tbh I hope they find a new upcomer, who looks like Dennis, has similar voice and is completely unknow, but potentialy a great actor. Control, the film featuring Ian Curtis of Joy Division was a great film with such an actor. My hopes actually went up now, but it sets it back by quite abit.

A very good actor and that just has the same face! what a shame.

Damn, that's a shame.. Eckhart would have been perfect, I think. Such a high profile actor would have meant some serious spotlight on Denny's legacy. Well, let's see who they come up with as a replacement..

That stinks.
It's gonna be hard to find someone to pull Dennis off.
He's the most rugged/boyishly handsome dude ever. Like if Chuck Norris, and George Clooney had a baby.

 http://www.danaddington.com/denny/dencamera.jpg

Why did Eckhart back out ?

Bah what a shame...was really looking forward to his work in this film.  Here's hoping they find someone just as respectable to fill the roll.

The curse of The Beach Boys movie projects continues

It's usually a terrible sign when the executive producer bails out on a project, and in this case not only the executive producer but also the marquee star of the film walked away from it.

Maybe the curse is a good thing, judging from past results that have been completed.

I know it's been asked already, but the reasons why he bailed will be interesting to hear, if we ever hear them accurately.

Yeah I'll be amazed if this gets back on track. What a shame.

 :(

I guess money walks, too.

I think John Corbett would make a much better Dennis.

The executive producer is usually the person with the clout and the funding to make it happen, not necessarily the driving force but the muscle...would that be accurate? Now we have that walking away, as well as the lead role, and there is no definite start time or even a timeline for the project in sight. You can't help but think the worst.

And not to dredge up old issues, but a few points came up in that initial report which might get people thinking there was a Beach Boys/BRI component to all this which may have exercised their (BRI) corporate/legal power to say "no" to certain things which were going to be depicted in the film. I'd imagine at least a preliminary outline of a script or a story would need to go through "corporate" if the Beach Boys' image and members were involved, though I'm just guessing.

Or maybe the guy just packed up and left for his own reasons, who knows. We'll have to stay tuned to TMZ for the dirt, unless info leaks from other places. :)

Is Stamos free ?













































 ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
just kidding.....

Don't count The Stamos out...would it be surprising if we were to find out he has been lobbying hard for some role in this project? Or something like it? Not saying he has with this project, but it wouldn't be surprising at all if his name came up.

I can't wait to hear the inside details if and when they come out.

I think its worth noting that he only became exec after he joined.  The original creators/producers could just look elsewhere. Still, pretty bad on eckharts part for bailing after casting and prob a ton of work by the producers.

John Corbett is 51 years old and 6'4" tall. I think it would be a bit of a stretch for him to portray a 33 year old Dennis who was 5'9".

also he would be acted in circles by moretz and farmiga.

Then it sounds like a money grab - it could mean he signed on as exec with the understanding he'd help secure the funding for the film from investors using his star power or even from his own bankroll. Or it could mean he signed on as exec and got "points" on the film on whatever future profits were made as a condition of his signing on in the lead acting role, or for whatever he did as exec which could be calling one investor he knew to secure a big check.

I'm sure it will leak out soon enough.

Wow I didn't realize he was that old. I don't think the difference in height would make much difference in a movie. Still, In his prime you have to admit that the vibes Corbett put out were very Dennis-like.

Funny, I used to think the same thing back in his Northern Exposure days, but I think he's too tall, and now, too old.

Whoops. Jon already said all this.  :-[

It's just an example of my own self denial about getting older that in some crazy way, my brain didn't think of him as having aged since NoEx 20 years ago.  :lol

Corbett might be too old now. Woulda been perfect when he starred in that 90s TV series The Visitor. I remember watching this as a teenager and thinking "Holy crap. He IS Dennis Wilson". His mannerisms and look was total DW. http://youtu.be/LScFVC5grSM (http://youtu.be/LScFVC5grSM)

I'll just throw this out there, I think actor Chris Evans bears a strong resemblance to Dennis.  Albeit, perhaps a younger one than the time frame of the story call for.

This is a possibility:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0124930/

He's 6'2 and 43 years old, not nearly as handsome, but in some of the pics I can certainly see him pulling Dennis off.

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3724652544/nm0124930

Well, what I heard was he bowed out due to exhaustion from a film he just completed...

Not bad. Good call.

If we just lost eckhart because of freaking I, Frankenstein then wtf.  That's the only movie I've heard of him filming recently. 

Just saying this. I'm sure it will be criticized. But why does the actor have to look exactly like Dennis? Sure, WE'LL notice the difference, but how many average audience members of this movie do you think will actually be saying "Hmm Aaron Eckhart looks a lot more like him". Just throwing that out there. The fact that he was an executive producer too is a bigger problem.

I agree with guitar who said the exec was just a title to get funds.  I think the concern here is keeping the rest of the cast together.  I'm gonna call it dead till we hear otherwise.

They just need to go the commercial route, and get freakin' thor!

 http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aw5Y0-tziPk/TyI8xVzhWuI/AAAAAAAABKA/C1xu2WBrwpY/s1600/chris-hemsworth.jpg

Look at the picture second from the right. He would be a pretty decent Andrew G Doe.  ;D

I'm sure AGD has a script in the works already for himself to direct/star

Even though there was/is a good chance the film would blow it as most films on entertainers do, I really wanted this to come out and be good. With all the 50th stuff going on, a decent film right about now concerning Denny would have bolstered the legacy of both the BB's and Denny even more. Too bad. Was there even a finished script for this?

Guess if the star/exec producer has gone, it's safe to assume this is dead. Shame, really.

but, but.. :(

At least this wasn't his original project.  He was just brought in and promised the exec producer spot, to back out like this is a big f u

Ah, but who would play Phil Cohen? :)

Andy Serkis w/ overelaborate motion capture technology to perfectly realise an even more terrible version of Phil Cohen himself.

This really stinks, sort of the first bad news we've heard around here in a while, we've all been so used to crazy wild fantastic things happen we never thought would, this is sort of a slap in the face.

AGD/Phil C-the opening scene:

(http://tinyurl.com/bwukhd3)

That would definitely be a very human reason for bowing out. At the same time I thought why wouldn't they just put it on hiatus or on the back burner for a bit (giving that needed rest/revive time) instead of cutting all the ties in one swoop as the original report seems to suggest happened when he bailed out on the project?

From subsequent posts it seems likely the tag of "Exec Producer" was more financial than anything, or was some of the candy used to sweeten the original deal. I dunno. :)

Here's a new production still, which kinda gives away the heartwarming happy ending:

http://www.docsmartypants.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/rud-yukon.jpg