Anyone who’s seen coverage of what’s happening with the Freddie Mercury biopic may wonder if a satisfying film can ever be made from a figure who is essentially inimitable. Well now director Mark Gill has set himself a challenge greater than parallel parking on the Moon – a movie based on Morrissey.
Having built a reputation with a string of distinctive, seemingly autobiographical tracks written with band The Smiths, he pursued a successful solo career that has lasted over 25 years. The staunch vegetarian has created controversy by reportedly encouraging animal rights activists to take violent action. He is also a man of surprises, nearly writing our Eurovision entry in 2007 and currently gearing up to perform live with Sir Cliff Richard this coming June.
Most recently he wrote Autobiography, which became a best seller, so Gill and his team are striking while the iron is still reasonably hot. Building on the success of their Oscar-nominated short THE VOORMAN PROBLEM (for they managed to get the illustrious ear of Kevin Spacey) they could well stand a good chance of liaising with the man himself.
Whether they will receive any input from Morrissey, or indeed if he is interested, is a matter that will reveal itself in the fashion of a petulant youth emerging from behind a bus station swinging a bunch of daffodils. His image has been lovingly mocked by everyone from Harry Hill to Peter Serafinowicz and perceptions of him vary. During an appearance on BBC’s The One Show he made reference to a local family from his youth in Manchester, only for someone of that name to call in to dispute the facts. You’re never sure with Morrissey how much of what he’s saying is self-aggrandizement, which of course is true of many artists.
Wisely perhaps Gill is opting for a semi-fictionalized approach, as well as something with broad appeal:
“The film covers Morrissey’s life pre-Smiths and is more of a portrait than a conventional biopic. It’s as much a film for non-Morrissey fans as it is for die-hard devotees, but I can’t deny that this is a love letter to Steven Patrick Morrissey and the dark satanic mills of Manchester.”
The working title is STEVEN and the screenplay will be by Gill and novelist William Thacker (amazingly also the name of Hugh Grant’s bookseller in NOTTING HILL). The film will be made by Manchester-based producers Honlodge and they aim to start shooting later in the year.
If filmmakers are having trouble getting Freddie Mercury’s life to the screen I don’t know how they’re going to deal with Morrissey. A mammoth hiding to nothing may be on the cards, yet by concentrating on the formative years of the divisive figure we know, and who many ardent fans love, they are probably treading the right line. It doesn’t take a ouija board to work out this is one project that will be awaited with major expectation.
Oh, and if the producers are reading this Matt Smith should play him.
Sources: BBC, Honlodge Productions
