Success is what you make of it.
For Machine Gun Kelly (real name Colson Baker) success is somewhat of a regular visitor. With hard work comes success and the latest reward for his constant grind is the landing of the role of Tommy Lee in Netflix’s adaptation of Motley Crue’s biography The Dirt.
Directing the movie will be Jeff Tremaine (of Jackass fame). It will be produced by Julie Yorn, Erik Olsen, and Allen Kovac. The script was written by Rich Wilkes and Tom Kapinos. And if you were wondering if Motley Crue had any input, members of the band are co-producing it.
Looking at the rise of Motley Crue during the 80s, the movie is based on the 2001 autobiography The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band. Exploring what many called the “hair band” rock scene, it is said the movie will “pull no punches” as it looks at the highs and the lows of one of the most iconic rock bands who played their final concert on New Year’s Eve in 2015 at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles.
Motley Crue was formed in L.A. and released its first album, Too Fast for Love, in 1981. They combined hard rock, heavy metal, and glam rock, and went on to sell more than 100 million albums worldwide.
As for Machine Gun Kelly, his rise to prominence came at the hands of rap music. A talented MC whose rapid-fire flow caught the attention of Diddy – who promptly signed him to his Bad Boy imprint – his love of rock music has never been a secret. His most recent album, Bloom, which was recently certified gold, embraces his love of rock music with the regular inclusion of his own guitar playing and some heavier instrumentation.
As far as acting goes, MGK has already appeared in various roles, including The Land, Nerve, and he even had a reoccurring role as Wesley in the Cameron Crowe Showtime TV series Roadies.
This is the closest the Motley Crue film has come to moving toward production after years of jumping from studio to studio. Landing at Paramount Pictures more than a decade ago, Larry Charles was initially attached to direct it for both Paramount and MTV Films in 2006. Focus then took over in 2015 while Tommy and the band embarked on their final tour. At that point, Tremaine and the current producers came on board.
With no official release date yet, check back for updates as they come in.
