Casting for the CBGB biopic has resulted in some interesting choices, and the names just keep on coming. The film found its most recent addition in Donal Logue, a character actor and occasional leading man who’s notable for his work on the short-lived, well-loved FX series, Terriers. Logue will play Merv Ferguson, the man who helped owner Hilly Kristal (Alan Rickman) keep the legendary club in order. [THR]
Working on a script by Jody Savin, director Randall Miller (Bottle Shock) will helm the story of New York’s music scene, and how CBGB helped launch some of the biggest rock n’ roll acts of the past four decades before closing its doors in 2008.
Besides Logue, other stars who jumped on board recently are Joel David Moore, Stana Katic, Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) as manager Terry Ork, Mickey Sumner (The Borgias) as singer Patti Smith, and Ashley Greene as Kristal’s daughter, Lisa. They join Malin Akerman as Debbie Harry, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins as Iggy Pop, and Rupert Grint as Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome. Rounding out some of the other punk rockers and club personalities are Steven Schub as DeeDee Ramone, Evan Alex Cole as Richard Hell, Kerry Bische (Red State) as a young Mary Harron, and Peter Vack as journalist and author Legs McNeil.
I can’t comment on how well Logue will portray Ferguson, but I can see Akerman as Harry and Grint in the role of Chrome. Last year, I read Please Kill Me, McNeil and Gillian McCain‘s excellent oral history on the origins of punk; I’m curious to see just how real the film is willing to get when it comes to all the sex, drugs and overall self-destruction associated with the movement.
Production on CBGB is scheduled to begin on June 25th in Savannah, GA before moving to New York.
Do you think Logue is a good choice? What are your hopes for this film?