According to Variety, director Adam Shankman has signed on to direct and choreograph the film adaptation of the Tony-award nominated Broadway play, Rock of Ages. If you’re unfamiliar with Rock of Ages, here’s a brief summary of the movie from Variety:
The musical tells the story of a couple that meets at the Sunset Strip club Rock of Ages, falls in love and tries to stay together amid the rough and tumble rock lifestyle. The cast finds reasons to belt out 80s rock anthems made popular by Journey, Twisted Sister, Joan Jett, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar and other MTV generation staples.
With his experience directing music videos and musicals (including 2007’s surprise hit Hairspray), Adam Shankman should be the perfect person to bring the project to fruition. Describing the film as “Mamma Mia!” for dudes,” Shankman said bringing Rock of Ages to the big screen is an “extraordinary opportunity to open the genre to an audience that otherwise wouldn’t go see a musical.”
Was there ever a better time for rock music than the 1980s? Honestly, who among us can claim that they haven’t belted out “Don’t Stop Believin’” at the top of their lungs while taking a shower? While I haven’t seen the Broadway production of Rock of Ages, I can’t help but imagine that I would like it. Of course, musicals haven’t always made the transition from stage to screen gracefully (for every Chicago, there’s a Rent). It should be interesting to see how Shankman handles the material, and whether the film finds its audience.
That being said, who out there in Hollywood can you see shredding guitar along to the power ballads of Styx, Foreigner, and Journey? Better yet, who can you see channeling Steve Perry’s golden pipes? (Zac Efron need not apply.)
Warner Brothers will begin production on Rock of Ages next summer with an expected release date sometime in 2011.
Source: Variety
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