Martin Scorsese To Direct Ramones Movie For 2016 Release: Biopic to coincide with band’s 40th anniversary.
The recent passing of Tommy Ramone signaled a true end of an era. The original Ramones lineup of Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy, exists only in exalted memory through their classic punk assault.
The band members themselves were often at odds, especially Joey and Johnny, and these divisions also extended to family members and business associates. Decades of ugly money disputes has kept the members separate estates in disharmony.
But Tommy’s death seems to have melted the ice, and all sides are reuniting to celebrate the band’s upcoming 40th anniversary in 2016.
The biggest announcement is an upcoming biopic of the band from director Martin Scorsese. While details are sparse, band manager Jeff Jampol stated that “authenticity is the foundation of everything. And luckily, when you have a really genius artist like the Ramones you don’t have to spin it.”
While Scorsese has yet to announce any casting decisions, it’ll be interesting to see who will play these iconic musicians.
But there’s also a separate documentary planned, featuring as Jampol stated: “a ton of footage, much of which has never been seen before. It came from the Ramones on the road over the years in the Seventies and a little bit in the Eighties.”
Other projects are also in the works, including a theatrical play, and a book, which Jampol elaborated upon: “You’ll see a book coming, which is not a biographical book so much, but a story of the band’s formation and those first few records and that craziness that happened. It’ll be a combination of prose, photographs and memorabilia and posters…”
So while the original Ramones lineup have passed on, they have several busy years ahead of them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some deluxe album reissues and rare track collections, such as the one Morrissey is currently curating.
Are you excited about all things Ramones? Too soon? And who would make your dream cast for Scorsese’s film? Tell us in the comments.