British Cast Lined Up for Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll

April 22, 2009
by Alex Billington

Director Mat Whitecross has lined up one hell of a fantastic British cast for Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, his in-development biopic about punk legend Ian Dury. Naomie Harris, Ray Winstone, Olivia Williams, Noel Clarke, Toby Jones, MacKenzie Crook and Bill Milner have all signed on to star in the film opposite Andy Serkis, who plays the polio-afflicted frontman. Whitecross is gearing up to start shooting in London on May 3rd. The script was written by actor Paul Viragh and the project is being produced by Damian Jones. While I don't know much about Ian Dury, this sounds like a great project to keep our eye on as it develops.

Dury was the lead singer of the British band Ian Dury and the Blockheads, who, with other bands like the Talking Heads, ushered in the New Wave era in the late 1970s. He was diagnosed with cancer in 1996 and underwent surgery, but tumors were found elsewhere and he later died in 2000. In addition to their hit songs like "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick" and "Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3", the title of this based off of Dury's hit single "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll". Arthur Darvill, James Jagger, Tom Hughes, Shakraj Soornack, Clifford Samuel and Joe Kennedy are also on board to play band members of the Blockheads.

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