It’s 2022 and the rock ‘n’ roll biopic is not going anywhere. Following the trailer drop for Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis and the perplexing news that a Jackie Jormp-Jomp-style Billy Joel film is in the works with zero permission or participation from the Piano Man himself, it was announced on Friday that Netflix is developing a scripted series about Irish rock legends U2.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, J.J. Abrams is pivoting from his sci-fi and action comfort zone to create the series under his Bad Robot Productions banner. Anthony McCarten, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind The Theory of Everything and Bohemian Rhapsody, will be working on the script. The iconic band—made up of frontman Bono, beanie enthusiast and guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr.—is said to be involved, though the nature of their participation has yet to be revealed.
Formed in Dublin in 1976, U2 is widely considered to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time, with hit songs like “With or Without You,” “Beautiful Day,” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.” They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 and have won an impressive 22 Grammy Awards. If you (like myself) are not a fan of stadium rock, you may better know Bono from his voice work as the agoraphobic lion in the children’s movie Sing 2, or the embarrassing poem he recently wrote about Ukraine that Nancy Pelosi recited on St. Patrick’s Day.
The untitled project from Warner Bros. Television is just one of a seemingly endless number of high-profile music biopics that have premiered in the last few years or are currently in the works. Both Bohemian Rhapsody, which scored Rami Malek an Oscar for his portrayal of Queen’s Freddie Mercury, and Rocketman, starring Taron Egerton as Elton John, were critically acclaimed hits. In addition to Luhrmann’s Austin Butler-led Elvis, an upcoming Madonna biopic has been making headlines for its extensive (and apparently cut-throat) search for a lead actress. Popular starlets like Florence Pugh, Julia Garner, and Alexa Demie are apparently in the running for the coveted role of the Material Girl. A Bob Marley biopic is also in development.
Netflix, Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. declined to comment on the series, but hopefully U2 fans won’t have to wait much longer to find what they’re looking for.
