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Oren Moverman Hired to Re-Work Kurt Cobain Biopic Script

by Ethan Anderton
February 18, 2010

While it's always sad when a genuine talent passes, it's even more disheartening when said talent changed the face of their respective medium, and how our culture will never know the lengths to which our hearts and minds could have been moved. Such is the case with the legendary, late musician Kurt Cobain, lead singer of the rock band Nirvana who changed the face of alternative music well past his years. Now comes word that Cobain will get his due diligence in the form of a gestating biopic which THR's RiskyBiz reports will be re-written and directed by Oren Moverman whose script for The Messenger is Oscar nominated.

Moverman will rework a script from David Benioff (25th Hour, Brothers, Wolverine) which he wrote in '07 taking cues from Charles R. Cross' 2001 biography, Heavier Than Heaven: A Biography of Kurt Cobain, which covers the life, music, senseless love with modern day Yoko Ono/Satan hybrid Courtney Love and eventual tragic suicide of the great musical master. Echoes of Cobain's tragic end came through the 2005 fictional rock and roll based drama Last Days from Gus Van Sant, but this is the real deal and Benioff even spent time with Cobain’s old friends in Aberdeen to better his script. This sounds like an especially powerful biopic that I can't wait to see played out on screen. But who is the person to portray Kurt Cobain?

Related categories: Movie News, Opinions

Cody

Jared Leto with grown out long hair and some 5 o clock shadow and you got your Cobain.
People's Champ

Hope they do it right, not some watered down bio-pic. Not sure who they get for the role, Michael Pitt again? I guess some unknown.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

Nirvana were good, but I would say the Foo Fighters are actually better, and without Kurt's untimely exit, they wouldn't have formed.
Lincoln

Bert McCracken, The Used
DEADPOOL,MERC WITH A MOUTH

maybe sawyer from lost could play him,this would be an intresting look inside the head of a legend,it could start or end with him blowing his brains out,than do what lead to this tragic loss to music.
beavis

so, a person is a "genius" if they can't be understood while singing? really, cobain sounded like jibberish when "singing". i'd rather have a rick james, clash, sex pistols, or motley crue biopic.
paulitos-way

to #6 motley crue? they barely even hit the radar over in the uk, the sex pistols... well we've already had the sid and nancy flick...
John Patrick Mayshon

IT'SH A GRUNGE THING!!!
Nada Nuff

"With the lights out, it's less dangerous Here we are now, entertain us I feel stupid and contagious Here we are now, entertain us"
The movie guy

#3 your an idiot with no tatse Foo Fighters better than Nirvana BOOOOOO. Please don't ever talk again... Moron
Russell

@ #6 - He wasn't considered a genius because of his singing, it was because of his song and lyric writing. His music opened up the minds of a generation and that's what any great artist of his/her time does. Love him or hate him, he changed everything. I agree with #1, I think Jared Leto could do a good job. Maybe give Joseph Gordon Levitt a try?
CSGabriel

I think Leto would be a good fit. He can act pretty good and a damn good singer. With that said, I would like to see a no name actor attached to this. The name Kurt Cobain alone will sell tickets, doesn't matter who plays him.
Groov

Am I the only on that thinks that the romanticized memory of Cobain is 50x better than he actually ever was? If he didn't die when he did, we'd be lambasting his 3rd crappy solo album and making fun of him for doing a duet with Fergie right about now. I like me some Nirvana and they were revolutionary in some ways but he is not and never was the Christ figure that people make him out to be.
Matt

Rape me.
http://www.bradnewsoftheday.com Brad

@14 underneath a bridge.
voxfux

heath ledger!!! : (
Fercho

If there's someone who deserves a good biopic movie is Kurt Kobain, 90's wouldn't be the same without him and he erased from earth all that ridiculus glam rock and hairy singers in leather pants with a trully and sensfull music which refleceted a whole generation And with his dead all that pop crap like Back treet boys, britney, Cristina etc came out...that's the saddest part of his death.
Clover

Never thought I would ever agree with crapola but he does have a point. Foo Fighters have gained more commericial fame and actually have sold more records and concert attendance is off the charts. Nirvana introduced grunge to the less informed masses when MTV actually played videos and did influence many acts including PJ. Lyrically brilliant, but the music is much what was done before them. 3 chords and a cloud of dust. I do hope the writer speaks with Dave Grohl to get his input.
http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2408/blackbabyjesus.gif Crapola

@ The movie guy, c'mon man, I have taste, just not yours, as good as Nirvana sound, it's misery music, and the misery was Kurt Kobain. They should make a documentary about Jackson C. Frank, as far as song writing goes, he is incredible, his life is more interesting too. Like Groov said, if Kobain never blew his head off, he'd be well known but not deified like he is now. Why not a Daniel Johnston film? At least it would be funny as well as having drug addiction and crazy Jesus ramblings.
Lando Calrizzle

"His music opened up the minds of a generation" "90's wouldn't be the same without him and he erased from earth all that ridiculus glam rock" um well...yea in a way...but, its like...not really..uh.. #18 puts it best "Nirvana introduced grunge to the less informed masses when MTV actually played videos and did influence many acts including PJ. Lyrically brilliant, but the music is much what was done before them" growing up with punk rock before it got marketed as "grunge" I have to agree with #18, Nirvana was just another punk band and the only thing they did different was to make videos and be ok to be used as poster boys for corporate rock america. I dont hate the guy but I dont buy this "Genius" status he's been given post mortem either. His story is no different than the countless punk rockers and rockers that have come before him and on that note there are so many other artists within the punk community that would make great biopics..Ian McKaye (who has REALLY taken a stand against corporate rock by refusing corporate media--yet he'll give an interview to any kid with a zine, only playing all ages shows, producing, releasing their own material, word of mouth advertising, refusing to make videos for mtv, refusing commercial airplay, refusing to sell music for commercials, only playing benefits in their hometown, playing free protest shows in front of the white house and capital building, etc...) Jello Biafra (controversial even within the punk community), Steve Ignorant of Crass and Conflict, Darby Crash of Germs, etc..the list goes on and on.. Honestly I think its all a matter of death worship, someone dies tragically and they become a hero. Look at sid vicious, what the hell did he do to get punk god status (sid lives shirts and spraypaint tags were all the rage) ? he killed his girl and then himself and THAT WAS IT!! he was just a bassplayer who was into drugs and here we go DIED A TRAGIC DEATH.. I respect the dead but cmon, give credit where its due.
The Dude

Either they should cast Charlie Hunnam, who plays Jackson "Jax" Teller on Sons of Anarchy. He has the same long, shaggy blonde hair. The scruffy facial hair. A similar looking face. Hunnam is 6'1 and Cobain was 5'10 so he's close in height. Hunnam has shown that he can pull off an American accent and he is 29 right now. Cobain was 27 when he died so they're also close in age. Or, they should cast Joe Anderson who played Max Carrigan in Across the Universe. He's basically identical to Cobain, he's 27, and he's 5'11.
Darren

the guy who played gambit in wolverine
Xerxex

I would perfer a Pink Floyd biopic.
jebstuart

# 3 thats blasphemy
WB Exec

Heath Ledger would hav been perfet. Or Charlie Hunnam (the guy from sons of anarchy)
Bucker96

what about the lead singer from Puddle of mud?
bltzie

Leto sure looks the part http://www.blogcdn.com/www.tmz.com/media/2009/02/0216_jared_kirk.jpg
wm

hate to sound like a bummer, but we already know everything about this guy. I guess Courtney finally came clean.
Dave Lister, JMC

Foo Fighters are shit. Their first album is a complete joke... now that I have *that* out of the way. I'd like any film about Kurt Cobain to address how he ended up being more of a polarizing influence than a galvanizing one. It was the mainstream marketing of Nirvana as the "bearers of the new standard" that helped bring about the splintering of the music industry. They spawned a million and one knock off bands who tried to capitalize on the sound and the music industry is till trying to recover. All of this, of course wasn't Cobain's fault; and I can't help but feel that the way his band was sold, to the public, was a major contributor to his suicide.
JMoney

Jared Leto is like 40, I'm guessing whoever plays Cobain will have to pass for ages 18-27, so they can't go too old. As for the merits of a Cobain bio pic, the man had/has a huge following, he led a compelling life. I'm not a Cobain fanatic, I like Nirvana's music, but it bothers me that he was a drug addict and killed himself. Imagine the amount of music we could have enjoyed since then. Spin the Black Circle Not For You Nothingman Cordoroy Better Man Hail, Hail Off He Goes Red Mosquito Given to Fly Do The Evolution Nothing As It Seems Life Wasted World Wide Suicide Comatose The Fixer All songs Pearl Jam have produced since Cobain's death, not to mention the Into The Wild soundtrack. Just imagine what we could have seen from Cobain since 1994. But either way I think his story is one worth telling
People's Champ

Dont see how you people can think FF are better than Nirvana. SAD!
Lando Calrizzle

scream was better than nirvana...
Aaron

Has anyone seen Across the Universe? The blonde haired guy who played Max in the movie should play Kirk Cobain. Joe Anderson I think is his name. Honest to god, search this guy, he looks JUST LIKE Kirk Cobain. Go ahead, search him. We already know he can sing since he was a main character in a musical(Across the Universe was a musical for those of you who don't know). Lesser known actor, I know, but wasn't Heath Ledger a lesser known actor when he took the job for Brokeback Mountain?
Anonymous

Joe Anderson from Across The Universe is PERFECT for the role. He has the look and can sing.
Dave Lister, JMC

Who's *Kirk* Cobain?
Xerxex

@35, Some two bit whack job, wears a purple suit and make-up. HA! couldn't resist.
Foofan

Oh come on Foo Fighter rock the crap out of Nirvana, I'm glad the sad little jerk-off sucked a shotgun shake, Dave Grohl is 10000000 times the musician as what crybaby kobain was
Dave Lister, JMC

If Dave Grohl had walked, into the record label, with that first FF album as his demo tape, and he wasn't the former drummer, in Nirvana, he would've been laughed out of the building. He has skated all these years, on the fact that he was a member of Nirvana. Now, personally, I only ever found Nirvana to be a decent band; but never one of my favorites. However, the fact is that 'Nevermind' is a major benchmark album, of the 90's. Producer Butch Vig and the band captured a moment and along, with Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains, they peaked the "grunge sound" very early on. After 1994, the grunge sound was spinning its' wheels and circling the drain; and Grohl's Foo Fighters were just along, for the ride.
Foofan

uh yeah, the foo fighters are pretty far away from grunge stop living in the 90's and your parents basement
Lando Calrizzle

oh contrare monfrare! David Grohl was in a great PUNK band called "Scream" that had a good history and following long before the commercial success you call a benchmark. Pearl Jam, Nirvana, alice in chains, etc.. all CAPITALIZED on a marketing moment in the 90's when Mainstream music decided to legitimize and sterilize punk rock making it safe for people who got their music from MTV!!! anyone dialed into NON MTV music in the 90's will tell you the same thing. and Xerxex, a syd barret biopic would rock!
Dave Lister, JMC

Foo Fighters suck, period. Just because you like a shitty band, you don't have cast aspersions at someone who disagrees with you. Oh... and that "parent's basement" thing stung... *ouch*.
Foofan

obvi it did but hey whatevs, dave. as for the foo fighter sucking..naw, they put on one of the only real honest rock shows out there live in concert, and as for Nevermind being a benchmark, it is nothing more or less any more important to music than hit me baby one more time.
RachelReplicant

"He has skated all these years, on the fact that he was a member of Nirvana." dude, thats like saying Jimi Hendrix skated by because he was the opening act for the monkeys in their tour (look it up) or that justin timberlake skates by because of the mickey mouse club.. ever hear of talent? ? I mean, Im no foo fighter fan but they sound better than nerdvana in my opinion..
Dave Lister, JMC

Grohl played with Scream as a replacement, for a few months before they disbanded... big deal. The band was well established, before he came along. As for your point, on the marketing angle, I agree. The record labels pushed Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Alice in Chains endlessly. The pressure destroyed Cobain. The drug aspect killed Layne Staley and the push to market the image drove Pearl Jam to (admirably) abandon the MTV scene altogether.
Foofan

i always find it intresting when something becomes big and main stream and the word legitimize becomes tossed around as if it was a bad thing. if that marketing push hadn't of happened, then A) no one would care who Kurt Cobain was and B) this convo wouldn't even be happening. People always sqwak when something becomes too successful, even if they liked it in the beginning. The intresting thing is how they will try and portray a coward with a junk addiciton as anything other than a coward who left his daughter to be raised by Love
RachelReplicant

replacement? he played in scream for about 4 - 5 years! not to mention he was in a couple of other kick ass DC bands like freak baby, mission impossible (which released on Dischords sister label "Sammich") and Late! with an impossible to find "pocketwatch" release on "Simple Machine records" Dave grohl was well established as an artist long before nirvana and obviously not only by scream (which again, he was in for more than "A few months"
Shortcut312

I feel like Emile Hirsch would be enough of a character actor to really take the role seriously and give the character the respect it deserves/requires. Not to mention I'm sure he could end up looking ALOT like cobain.
Cody

I retract my Leto recommendation Charlie Hunnam is pretty much perfect and hes got mad acting chops too.
Xerxex

@ Lando It would be amazing to see Syd's legacy on the big screen, but there so much to Syd Barret is rise to fame and his decline into drugs, Then Roger Waters and Gilmour with The Wall, I think a filmmaker wouldn't know where to start.
Cody

As much as Id like to see a pink floyd biopic I just wouldnt, in fear of them totally fucking it up. Like you said xerx they just wouldnt know what to do and thered be too many fans saying "you better not fuck this up"....like me.
http://www.futurephaseddesign.com Keith

I think Joe Anderson from Across the Universe not only has the look but the singing ability to pull off an amazing and accurate portrayal of Kurt ... it's ridiculous how much he actually looks like Kurt Cobain ... http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1725848/
http://www.barrynapierwriting.wordpress.com Barry

The guy that plays Chase on House could pull off the part, I believe.
Foofan

i say lindsy lohan for courtney love, who will play axel rose tho...i mean that was his nemises
dave

Heath Ledger could of been jood, i think johnny depp
Anonymous

Um...Johnny Depp is in his 40s. Joe Anderson has the PERFECT LOOK, VOICE, AGE, ETC.. HE'S PERFECT FOR THE ROLE.
Guy S

Kirk Cobain was one of the most influencal artist since john lennon. dave grohl was a great drummer but the foo fighters suck!
http://www.myspace.com/mirror_artfilms mirror

Who should play Kurt Cobain? This movie needs the care of great filmmakers. And will go all wrong if what the hero holds so true is not respected and the humanity doesn't come through. Read more at; http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=530853704&blogId=536099497
Amanda_myers

Well my opinion would def have to be Joe Anderson. I like him, he's a great actor and really does pull off the whole Kurt Cobain look((: It'd be real nice to see him get the role on top of some of the other people I have seen that they might pick. Some of them are pretty dumb to think about casting for a role like this. I like Twilight but No Robert Pattenson or whatever lol. Ewan like him as well but to old. Just really, look Joe Anderson up, look at some of the roles he has played and tell me he is not the one cut out to be the next Kurt Cobain aside from Micheal Pitt.