For those who have been waiting for another Grateful Dead movie, it looks like you won’t have to wait much longer. According to Deadline, ICM has officially gained access to the 1960’s jam band’s music catalog, which will be orchestrated into a narrative-style feature film.
The untitled feature film will be led by ICM agent Bruce Kaufman, who was also in charge of orchestrating 2007’s Across the Universe. The Grateful Dead project will be in the same vain as Universe, which will include re-recorded Dead songs for the feature film. Kaufman is currently working with The Grateful Dead team including, band archivist David Lemieux and Mark Pinkus, General Manager of the Grateful Dead Properties at Warner Music Group’s Rhino Entertainment.
Lead guitarist and frontman Jerry Garcia passed away shortly after the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995, which resulted in the band’s first breakup since their 1965 formation. During their 30 year musical run, the Dead did over 2,300 live performances. The film will aim to capture the Dead’s psychedelic hippie spirit of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s.
Since the film may be similar to Universe, it will really be up to the script to determine the way the film will go both creatively and musically. If a Garcia-like character does end up in the screenplay, casting such an iconic figure will definitely become a huge part of the production.
Check out the beginning of the 1977 film below.
Are you a Grateful Dead fan? If so, are you interested in this project?