Beaks here...
The wild and varied life of Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson is certainly rife with potential for a fascinating biopic. He was the surfer soul of the band, a talented songwriter in his own right (if not as blindingly brilliant as his younger brother Brian), an actor, an addict, and, for a brief period he would later regret, a friend of Charles Manson and his "family". And then, on one drunken afternoon in 1983, he drowned in Marina del Rey.
According to Variety, director Randall Miller and screenwriter Jody Savin are getting ready to tell one part of Wilson's tale: that of his "tumultuous" six-year love affair with Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie. Their film is titled THE DRUMMER, and it will star Aaron Eckhart as Wilson and Vera Farmiga as McVie. Though I'm not a fan of Miller-Savin's previous efforts (BOTTLE SHOCK and NOBEL SON), I definitely dig the casting. THE DRUMMER will cover the late '70s and early '80s, which means it might get folks interested in Wilson's underrated solo LP, PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE. I am all for this.
The film is expected to start shooting this June.
