Caffeinated Clint
A couple of years ago Jeremy Renner mentioned in an interview that, if given the opportunity, he’d love to do a musical – mentioning the Kurt Cobain bio as something of interest.
“I’ve always wanted to do some sort of musical”, the “Mission : Impossible Ghost Protocol” star told People in 2010. “That’s a dream for me. Maybe play Kurt Cobain.”
In the eighteen months or so since giving the quote Renner’s star has soared significantly higher; he’s not only sharing the screen with Tom Cruise in one of the year’s biggest action blockbusters, but he’s playing a superhero in “The Avengers”, is set to play Steve McQueen in a new biopic, and markedly, takes over the “Bourne” series from Matt Damon next year.
Now there’s word that Courtney Love, Cobain’s widow, is hoping Renner’s name will help her get a Cobain movie off the ground.
A reliable tipster told us via email :
“It’s not the Oren Moverman movie. That’s not happening; it’s in turnaround. I just know there’s some interest in Renner playing Cobain in another project that’s cooking with Courtney. Whether he will or not…”
Courtney Love and “Rampart” director Oren Moverman were working together on a Cobain biopic called “This is Gonna Suck” earlier in the year; the script was thought too ”unconventional” and the money-men passed.
Moverman told The Playlist :
Producers Working Title and Universal however, apparently did not love his unorthodox approach to the material which he described as “fragmented,” and “experimental” and did not even feature Cobain’s suicide. “They told me, ‘We cannot support [your] wildly independent and unconventional approach to this movie,’ ”Moverman said.
Titled, “This Is Gonna Suck,” Moverman said the proposed film and screenplay was all about “attitude,” and the reconciliation of Cobain’s vacillating moods. “This is a guy who thought he sucked, but occasionally thought he was brilliant too. The film would have been fragmented, but also examined what made him tick,” he explained. “It just tracked his life in pieces and there wasn’t a lot of psychology to it or reasons or excuses for his behavior.” Moverman said the film would have traced the last seven years of his life and would have been framed around three female relationships in his life, Tracy Marander, Toby Vail and Courtney Love.
While there had been plenty of casting rumors over the years, Moverman said, no one had been slotted in the lead and at best conversations were best-case, “Wouldn’t it be nice?” scenarios. However one rumored actor for the part, Moverman’s producing partner and actor Ben Foster was someone he had favored and hoped to have placed in contention, had the project received a green light. “Ben was definitely on my mind for the part. He’s the actor of his generation,” he said, “And he’s barely scraped the tip of his abilities. People haven’t yet fully noticed him, but he’s an extraordinary talent.”
True that. But again, so is Renner – but is getting a star of his size onboard a Cobain biopic going to help the movie get made? I don’t know, there seems to be so many stumbling blocks here. And, in fact, I don’t think the Oscar Nominated actor is even going to have the time to commit – or the need to attach himself – to anything new for quite a while.
For starters, Renner has three more “Mission : Impossible” movies to do for Paramount.
Though the plan was for Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt to hand over the keys to the IMF broom-closet to Brandt (Renner’s character) in “Ghost Protocol”, Cruise and Paramount later agreed on a deal that would see Cruise return – if even in a ‘Jim Phelps’ esque role (the guy that punches out the orders) – to the series. But Renner is going to be the main-man doing the action stuff by sounds.
Renner actually met with producer J.J Abrams about “Super 8”, the family-friendly science-fiction film that ultimately ended up going to Kyle Chandler. “But thought he was better suited to something more physical and macho”, we’re told. “He was Abrams pick. Abrams is the one who asked him to sign on for Missions 4 thru 7.”
Renner’s still trying to get his own biopic on Steve McQueen off the ground, so can’t imagine he’ll want to try and push another non-action true tale up hill.
Still, if he does… what do you guys think of Renner as Kurt Cobain?
