By Bruce Kaufman, literary agent, is currently attempting to get the rights to the entire musical library of The Grateful Dead for use in a narrative film in the style of Julie Taymor’s Beatles-infused Across the Universe. There’s no creative team attached to the film at all, at this point. This is merely the very first rumblings of the beginnings of this project. The only concrete plans made about this film, so far, is the wish to “capture the psychedelic Haight-Ashbury hippie spirit of the late 60s and early 70’s.” With the right production team, and some decent musicians to cover the songs, this could be a pretty special film.
I really loved the idea of Across the Universe, taking a narrative journey using some of the best music ever made as a jumping-off point, but I found the film lacking. The first half, more of a straight musical journey with a threadbare plot, was absolutely amazing and fun and lighthearted. Then I think Julie Taymor remembered Vietnam was a thing in the 60s, so the rest of the film is her shouting “HEY GUYS, PROTESTS IN THE SIXTIES, AM I RIGHT? VIETNAM, MAN. THAT WASN’T FUN.” Let’s hope that if this film ever happens, they learn from the missteps of Across the Universe.
[Via Deadline]