Variety is reporting today that Paramount Pictures has snapped up the rights to Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock ‘N’ Roll, with Leonardo DiCaprio attached to both star in and produce the film through his Appian Way banner.
Written by Peter Guralnick, the novel tells the story of the titular business man and record executive, a “visionary genius who singlehandedly steered the revolutionary path of Sun Records.” Back in the 1950s, Phillips had a huge impact on music, helping to launch the careers of legends like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. In addition to all that, he also “advocated racial equality and helped break down racial barriers in the industry.”
Quite an interesting man then, and DiCaprio likely has a meaty role cut out for him here. A writer is still needed to pen the script, which means the project is quite a ways away, but we’re definitely intrigued by how it’s shaping up so far. After all, with the recent Oscar winning actor now on board, you can bet that the film will start to attract some high profile talent in no time.
Not only that, but given that the movie has Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger on board to produce, it’s safe to assume that we’ll get an insightful look into the music industry accompanied by a solid soundtrack full of classic rock ‘n’ roll tracks.
It’s still early days on the Sam Phillips biopic, but as always, we’ll keep you posted as we hear more. For now, tell us, are you excited to see Leonardo DiCaprio portray this music industry icon? Sound off below with your thoughts!
