The massive success of Bohemian Rhapsody a few years ago has led to a slew of music biopics being commissioned.
We’ve already seen Rocketman hit cinemas, and films based on the lives of Elvis Presley, The Bee Gees, Boy George, Leonard Bernstein, and Madonna are all in various stages of development. So it’s no surprise to see Netflix getting in on the act.
A KISS biopic is reportedly in the works at the streaming giant. Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Rønning (Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales) will direct from a script by Ole Sanders, based on an earlier draft by W. Blake Herron.
KISS bandmates Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will produce the movie. It’s title, Shout It Out Loud, is from the group’s 1976 album “Destroyer”.
The movie will go all the way back to Queens, New York, where Simmons and Stanley formed an unlikely friendship before starting their own band with guitarist Ace Frehley and drummer Peter Criss. KISS intended to set themselves apart from the hair bands of the day by wearing kabuki makeup and spiked clothing, and their pyrotechnic-filled live shows drew them millions of fans around the world.
The band was voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, and the group is preparing to resume its End of the Road Tour after the pandemic. As we can infer from the name, this might be the band’s final tour, so if they are indeed retiring, a well-timed biopic like this should be a fitting send off.
Unsurprisingly, a biopic for a beloved band created a bidding war between studios. Also unsurprisingly, Netflix won out. They’re planning to spend $17 billion in content this year, so they’re going to win most bidding wars.
No offence to Rønning, but he isn’t exactly the most exciting director to be attached to a project like this. Maybe he’s a gigantic KISS fan, but more likely his steady hand on two Disney sequels and Netflix series Marco Polo convinced producers that he can guide this project without any hiccups.
Until we know any more, expect Shout It Out Loud to follow the typical narrative beats of most of these music biopics. We’ll now wait and see what actors sign on to play the band.
#Peace.Love.ShoutItOutLoud
