Bill Pohlad (“Love & Mercy“) is set to write/direct “Dreamin’ Wild,” the pic is based on the true story of instrumental and vocal duo Donnie & Joe Emerson and their family dynamic over the years. This comes as music biopics have primarily centered on more popular acts that are better known to the public, and focusing on lesser-known musicians should allow the film to get under the shadow of the musicians themselves and let the movie become its own thing.
According to Deadline, the stellar cast will include Oscar-winner Casey Affleck (“Manchester By the Sea“), Beau Bridges (“One Night in Miami“), Zooey Deschanel (“500 Days of Summer,” “New Girl“), Walton Goggins (“The Hateful Eight“), Jack Dylan Grazer (“Luca,” “Shazam!“), Noah Jupe (“Ford v Ferrari“), and Chris Messina (“I Care A Lot“).
Affleck and Jupe will play age-appropriate versions of Donnie, with Goggins and Grazer portraying Joe. As per the report, production on “Dreamin’ Wild” has already started in Spokane, Washington.
Here’s how Deadline describes the film’s synopsis:
“When Dreamin’ Wild – the album Donnie self-recorded as a teenager in 1979, with his brother Joe – is re-discovered decades later and meets critical acclaim, adult Donnie is forced to confront ghosts from the past and grapple with the emotional toll his dreams have taken on the family who supported him.“
Pohlad’s run as a producer is more than impressive with projects such as “Brokeback Mountain,” “The Runaways,” “Fair Game,” “The Tree of Life,” “12 Years A Slave,” “Wild,” “A Monster Calls,” “A Prairie Home Companion,” and “David Bryne’s American Utopia.” A mix of music and award-caliber dramatic projects that bodes well for the new movie getting the attention of the festival crowd.
Walton Goggins teased on Instagram having to learn how to play drums for the Joe Emerson role from Tommy Stinson of The Replacements, a rather rad instructor.