Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical Oscar-winning coming-of-age film, Almost Famous, about a starry-eyed teenage journalist trying to get his first cover feature published in rock ‘n’ roll bible Rolling Stone is being adapted into a stage musical.
The 2000 film written and directed by Cameron Crowe was loosely based on Crowe’s own experiences as a teenage journalist writing for Rolling Stone magazine back in the ‘70s.
Crowe toured with a number of famous bands to write first-hand accounts for the magazine and the 61-year-old director has said that during that time, he had a number of major life-changing experiences including falling in love and losing his virginity, all of which became material for his Oscar-winning movie.
The cult hit starred Patrick Fugit as 15-year-old aspiring music journalist William Miller – who lands his dream writing assignment for Rolling Stone to pen a feature about up-and-coming band Stillwater. Miller goes on tour with the band where he is exposed to the good, the bad and the ugly side of life on the road in the ‘70s with a rock band, including falling in love for the first time with veteran band groupie Penny Lane, played by Kate Hudson in what is largely considered her breakout role.
The movie also starred a number of other big Hollywood names including Oscar-winner Frances McDormand as Miller’s strict mum, Zooey Deschanel as Miller’s flight attendant sister and Billy Crudup in the role of Stillwater’s morally questionable front man, Russell Hammond.
It’s the kind of film that stays with you long after the end credits have rolled which makes the news that it’s being turned into a musical very welcome.
Variety reports Crowe will pen the script for the musical and composer Tom Kitt – who composed the music for the stage versions of High Fidelity and Bring It On – will score the music. Lyrics for the stage production will be written by both Kitt and Crowe.
Earlier this week Crowe posted a tweet of Kitt playing the piano, presumably composing music for Almost Famous the musical.
