Friend of the Devil!
In just-released news, it is being reported that Malibu stand-out Jonah Hill has been cast to play Jerry Garcia in an upcoming Martin Scorsese film about The Grateful Dead. Per Deadline:
After stepping up as a producer on his next film Killers of the Flower Moon, Apple has found its next Martin Scorsese project, and its subject is a band the Oscar winner knows well. Sources tell Deadline that Scorsese is on board to direct and produce a new untitled biopic on the Grateful Dead with Jonah Hill on board to play the group’s frontman, Jerry Garcia.
Hill will also produce the pic through his Strong Baby banner along with his producing partner Matt Dines.
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who received rave reviews for penning American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson, are writing the script with Rick Yorn of LBI Entertainment joining Hill and Scorsese as producers. The Dead’s Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann will executive produce along with their late bandmate’s daughter Trixie Garcia, Eric Eisner and Bernie Cahill.
As you know, well, I grew up on the Oregon coast and The Dead would regularly lope through the state being followed by people I considered my sworn enemies. I did not like The Grateful Dead’s music, I did not like their dancing bears, I did not like their fans, I did not like the length of their songs, I did not like the overall, or underlying, aesthetics.
Psychoanalysts might discover that my dislike stemmed from the iconic Grateful Dead “steal your face” or “lightening skull” logo. When I first saw it, sometime in elementary school, I assumed the band played some form of heavy metal or heavy metal-adjacent. When I first discovered the song title “Friend of the Devil” I knew they must play some form of heavy metal, not even adjacent.
Like Twisted Sister.
When I heard long acoustic guitar riffs, great confusion descended and has not dissipated.
Do you like The Grateful Dead?
Will you watch the movie?
David Lee Scales, who happens to be named after David Lee Roth from light welterweight metal Van Halen, and I discussed many things on our podcast today including surf film and white tennis shoes but did not discuss Hill’s turn as Garcia.
Would have been a lot cooler if we did.
Listen here.