Michael Fassbender to play a rock star in a comedy: a Gerard Butler-esque move?

Publish date: 2024-05-14

Did you know that Michael Fassbender was at last night’s GQ Men of the Year event in London? Of course you didn’t, because there are barely any damn photos of him, and when I did find a few, they were mislabeled!! His name is NOT Michael Fastbender. Just FYI. Anyway, Michael was back in London last night for the GQ event, and he took home an award for “Actor of the Year”. Congrats, Fassy! You’d think that photographers could have ignored Gary Effing Barlow for a hot minute to take some photos of Fassy, but NOOOooooo.

Anyway, I’ve been surprised by the outpouring of Fassbender news over the past few weeks. Hopefully, we’ll still be getting new photos and actual stories about him over the next six months or so, because God knows, I NEED my Fassy fix. I’m a Fassy junkie. For now, let’s discuss the latest casting rumor for Fassy. Will he finally get to play a rock star? That’s what he really wanted to be, you know. He wanted to be in a heavy metal band. And now he might get to play a rock star?

Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson are attached to star in Lenny Abrahamson’s next movie Frank. Written by British journalist and humorist Jon Ronson (The Men Who Stare at Goats) and Peter Straughan (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, The Men Who Stare at Goats), the project is being developed by Film4, the standalone movie-making arm for U.K. broadcaster Channel 4.

Protagonist Pictures will introduce the project to foreign buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival, which gets under way Thursday. Film4 will co-finance the movie with the Irish Film Board.

Frank is billed as a comedy about a young wannabe musician, Jon (Gleeson), who discovers he’s bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank (Fassbender).

The film, scheduled to shoot late this year, is a co-production between Runaway Fridge and Element Pictures…Abrahamson is set to begin shooting Frank late this year.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

There were early reports that this film would be loosely based on the life of Frank Sidebottom/Chris Sievey, who apparently was the lead in something of a beloved cult act called Frank Sidebottom’s Oh Blimey Big Band. The screenwriter claims that Sidebottom is only part of the inspiration for the character (who will be played by Fassy).

So, thoughts on Fassy playing a cult rock star? Eh. It seems like a Gerard Butler move, honestly, and I mean that as an insult. I hope Fassy doesn’t get so wrapped up in fulfilling his boyhood dreams (cars, playing a rock star) that he forgets about the astonishingly good work he’s capable of. That being said, it will be interesting to see him try his hand at comedy – I bet he’s good at it.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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