Cameron Crowe has been keeping quiet lately about when he’ll get around to making his drug-addiction biopic Beautiful Boy, though one can assume that it’ll be after he’s done with his new, still-untitled romantic comedy, which is set for release in 2014.
Adapted from the David Sheff memoir of the same name, Beautiful Boy will tell the tragic story of Sheff’s son, who went from being a star athlete and brilliant academic to a meth addict living on the streets with a pervasive lying habit and a dwindling future.
A story like this would prove an interesting departure for a director like Cameron Crowe, who is mostly recognized for his deeply emotional dramedies like Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous and Elizabethtown. As the film’s screenplay is still undergoing some revisions at the behest of the author, Crowe had evidently encountered some difficulty in getting the project off the ground.
Now, however, it appears that those troubles are behind him, as the director has entered negotiations with Mark Wahlberg to take the lead role. Though it’s not official just yet, Wahlberg has read the script and stated that he’s interested in the project. The role likely hits close to home for the acclaimed actor too, given that he struggled with drug addiction during his teenage years.
Personally, I’m hoping that Crowe can get Wahlberg to sign on. I think the pair would make an interesting team and I’d love to see Wahlberg take on a serious dramatic role like this. In fact, I think he would be perfect for it.
Tell us, do you want to see Mark Wahlberg and Cameron Crowe work together on Beautiful Boy? Let us know in the comments below.
