Buckley Bound For Biopic Treatment

June 28, 2006, 10:45 AM ET

Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter


Late musician Jeff Buckley is getting the biopic treatment. Writer-director Brian Jun, whose "Steel City" was nominated for the grand jury prize at January's Sundance Film Festival, will write and direct a feature based on the artist's life. The movie is being produced by Buckley's mother, Mary Guibert, and Michelle Sy, who executive produced "Finding Neverland."

Buckley was considered by critics one of the most promising artists of his generation after he released his debut album, "Grace," in 1994. Such musicians as Robert Plant, Elton John, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney praised the album, and his cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" is considered the definitive version of that song. Just as his career was taking off, however, Buckley drowned in Memphis, Tenn., on May 29, 1997.

This isn't the first time that a Buckley biopic has been attempted. Last year, writer-producer Train Houston secured the rights to "Dream Brother: The Lives & Music of Jeff & Tim Buckley," a book by Entertainment Weekly music critic David Browne.

It was that event that spurred Guibert, who controls the rights to Buckley's songs, to finally take an active role in a movie about her son's life.

"Over the years, the number of offers were unceasing, and I had resisted for so many reasons, one being that Hollywood, traditionally, did a lousy job of realistically portraying the life of people like Jeff," Guibert said. "But the possibility that it could happen without my participation set me back to re-examine why I wasn't doing it."

And after seeing recent films such as "Ray," "Walk the Line" and "Finding Neverland," Guibert became convinced "that time was right to have a project where integrity could be built into the script and that we could wrangle it so that it didn't get co-opted or changed in getting to the screen."

Guibert conveyed her ideas to her attorney, who in turn suggested she talk to Sy, a producer client of his. Sy was not an avid fan but was attracted to Buckley's story.

"It's really about how music is so much a part of this person's identity, and there are so many ironies in his life," Sy said. "For example, he was constantly being compared to his father (singer/songwriter Tim Buckley), but he only met his father twice. He had the trajectory of someone who gains a certain amount of success in a short period of time, and there [are] some downsides to that. And it was music that guided him through that."

Sy and Guibert went to Jun after seeing his "Steel City," which offered an unsentimental take on a father-son relationship. Jun also was a finalist for the Student Academy Award and was part of the Fox Searchlab talent program.

"As a filmmaker on the rise, I think he is actually experiencing a lot of the things that Jeff would have been experiencing at that point in his life," Sy said.

__________________

That's horrible.

"people like Jeff" .... ?


I like think that there's never been anyone like Jeff.

this is our last embrace
must i dream and always see your face
why can't we overcome this wall?
baby, maybe it's just because i didn't know you at all

It doesn't strike me as a good idea. But you never know. Walk The Line was quite good and all...

i hated the movie ray, it was way to long

didnt like ray, but i thought they did a great job with walk the line...we'll see. im alittle weary but i have to say its about time...

'stand absolved behind your electric chair, dancing...'

fucking god.

buckley is sacred. i don't want to see him outside of my perception of him. it's fine the way it is.

so who would play him????

__________________
Sorry 'bout the fire
Sorry 'bout the torch
Sorry i had to have my revenge

Two million years of human evolution and that's the best idea you can come up with?

"JB Biopic

It has now been nine full years since Jeff's passing and not a single one has passed without someone approaching me on the subject of making a feature-length film based on Jeff's life and music. From the beginning I was adamantly opposed. I had many good reasons: 1) it was hard to point to any Hollywood biopics that weren't sappy, oversimplified, and glamorized the subject's life to the point that it only bore a passing resemblance to reality; 2) no matter how good the screenwriter is, reducing anyone's life to under two hours of screen time is fraught with pitfalls; 3) none of us (my family and Jeff's closest friends) wanted to see our characters and lives portrayed through someone else's eyes on the big screen; 4) last, but by no means least, is the fact that I KNOW FOR SURE that Jeff would have had nothing to do with a feature film made about his life - were he alive, today. And, that's the catch. The fact that Jeff is no longer with us means that anyone can make a film or write a book about him without anyone's permission or our participation, which nearly became reality last year. That fact really got me to the point of re-thinking my stand on the subject. Nine years later, when I looked around, I saw films like "Ray", "The Aviator", "Walk the Line", and "Finding Neverland" making it to the screen. Also, I had to come to the realization that I did not want someone else to be in control of how the script was written and on what information that script was based.

Even David Browne admits that no-one could write a proper screenplay simply by adapting his book for the screen. I want Jeff's bandmates and the people who were really a part of his life to be able to convey IN PERSON what it was like to work with and be around Jeff. The bottom line is - I changed my mind and started looking for a producer and a screenwriter - in that order. My first jackpot was in contacting Michelle Sy (Executive Producer of "Finding Neverland"). We met several months ago, and she agreed to cast about for a screenwriter who would have the right take on what we wanted to accomplish, and she found an amazing young film-maker. His name is Brian Jun. His most recent film "Steel City" was screened at Sundance, last year, and you can see his bio and reviews of the film on the Sundance website. He's currently in negotiations to secure a distributor, so you will be able to see it in theaters and buy it on DVD in the near future. In the mean time, suffice it to say that Brian has eagerly plunged deep into my Jeff Buckley archives and will be spending the next few months interviewing Jeff's friends and associates, and absorbing everything we have saved of Jeff's personal effects in preparation for submitting a first draft by the end of the summer. Having had a chance to speak with him at length over the past two weeks, I feel absolutely confident in my choice. I will be doing everything to make his work easy and to open any door he needs to walk through to do his job well. I would not have chosen him if I wasn't ready to give him every kind of support he needs. Even if it means putting him together with people I feel were less than positive influences in Jeff's life. I can tell Jeff's fans with complete confidence that Brian is not the sort of fellow to sugar-coat or manipulate the facts. I've looked into his eyes and I know that he's a straight shooter. There's a depth of character to Brian, surprising in someone so young, and I have seen from his film-making that he has the courage and the skill to do this the way it should be done.

So, now, my friends, you can swing on the chandeliers speculating about which actors will play which parts - BUT, DON'T ASK ME! (Read my lips, you actors, out there!) We will not be making any decisions about casting a film we don't yet have a script for. As soon as the word gets out to the media that we are moving forward, I won't be able to walk the streets of Hollywood! Talent agents will be jamming Michelle Sy's voicemail. However, all of that will be to no avail until we have a finished script, which should be some time in the Fall of this year.

As usual, I will do my best to keep you all posted as this project finds its way (hopefully) to a theater near you."

Mary Guibert

explanation

I agree 100%!

exacto. this is guibert attempt at $$$, all the legacy has been. She's a sweet lady but she really basks in his glory and sadly appreciates being keeper of the material for more reasons then "homage and legacy" she loves the spotlight, failed actress you know. I feel bad saying that but it's jsut true she's a sweet kind woman and always very approachable.

but jeff was one of the most magnetic, sad, funny, beautiful men I've ever met and I don't think he would be real pleased by what's happened.

Jeff seemed like he was a pretty cool guy. I remember seeing this clip that made me laugh when he was playing Smells like Teen Spirit and mocking alternative music. Too funny.

I'm usually pretty much a synic(sp) when it comes to peoples motivations but i've never seen her as one of those capatilizing on death/spotlight seeking types. I would like to believe that she really does want to protect her son's music and memory.


but i agree that i don't want my view of him as being changed although if done right it could be a great flick or really awful if done wrong

i don't understand what there is to make a movie about
i am a huge fan but i don't get it

I'll have to think awhile about this one

i have to say i've always thought this though she claims her intentions are pure. but i guess i'd rather have his mom in control than some girlfriend. cough*likecourtney*cough.

Yeah, seriously. I love Jeff and was fortunate to have seen him play live...but Ray Charles and Johnny Cash lived intense lives in interesting times. Is Jeff's life really that fascinating?

yeah... aside from the end of his life, i didn't think it was all that interesting.

unless his mother knows a lot that's never been released, or there's diaries to base it on or something

wonder who's going to play courtney,...

was he on drugs or something like that?

i need to clarify, I don't think she's expoitive entirely or opportunistic entirely. I think she's a split -- half is truly about her son's legacy -- the other half well , being the executur has given her a life, given her $$ which she never had and always wanted and give her noteriety which she has craved her entire life. A lot of wonderful artists and such have tried to advise her to be more sparing about his personal life and she has thrown that aside and cut them out of the loop. And now a bio pic? Jeff would be absolutley furious. His private life was his private life and he never made any reservations about how he felt about that.

most.
annoying.
question.

no, part of jeff's charm is that he wasn't a rock & roll cliche. he just died in unfortunate circumstances.