Given the colossal worldwide success of Mamma Mia! ($569 million and counting), it’s not surprising to find that studios are suddenly sniffing around similar musicals in the hopes of hitting upon the next big cash cow.
Cue New Line snapping up the rights today to the current Off-Broadway sensation, Rock Of Ages, which features a soundtrack so 80s-tastic it’ll make you grow a mullet and long for Spangles/the Rubik’s Cube/whatever other 80s nonsense Stuart Maconie and the usual suspects bang on about on those talking heads shows.
How 80s-tastic? Try Foreigner. REO Speedwagon. Journey. Pat Benatar. Bon Jovi. *That’s *how 80s-tastic.
Still, **Rock Of Ages **has been a big hit since opening in October, and New Line sees much potential in the story of a doomed romance between two lovers who meet at a Sunset Strip club called… Rock Of Ages.
Chris D’Arienzo, who wrote the book for the show, will write and direct the film, which boasts Tobey Maguire as one of its producers.
Of course, whether the finished film’s nostalgia trip will be enough to attract moviegoers in Mamma Mia!-style numbers remains to be seen, but D’Arienzo could do a lot worse than cast the actor who, in Empire’s opinion, is solely responsible for the ABBA musical’s phenomenal success: Pierce Brosnan. Come on, admit it - don’t you want to hear Jimmy Bond belting out We Built This City by Starship in his own, inimitable, haemorrhoidal manner? Us too. See you in the queue!