From singer to actor to now playing a record executive in a forthcoming biopic, things are coming back full circle — sort of — for Justin Timberlake in a film that should be packed wall-to-wall with some great music.
Record executive and producer Neil Bogart is now getting the biopic treatment as Deadline reports that Timberlake will star in and produce “Spinning Gold.” Written by Tim Bogart (yes, Neil’s son, who also penned “The I Inside” and “Jungle Book: Lost Treasure“) the film will tell the story of his father’s rags to riches tale as a Jewish kid from Brooklyn who founded Casablanca Records and found fortune releasing records by KISS, Donna Summer and Parliament. While nowadays bands make it or break it on a single record, Bogart was known for sticking with KISS through their middling sales of their first few albums before their breakthrough Alive. He also helped usher in the use of the 12″ record as a singles format when he released Donna Summer’s “Love To Love You Baby” in its full 17-minute length. Casablanca Records also backed the insane Parliament tours as well.
The story is tinged with a bit of big screen drama as Bogart succumbed to cancer at the young age of 39. But even as he battled illness, his ear was firmly still to the ground and one of his last signings was Joan Jett. “Spinning Gold” is being produced by Boardwalk Entertainment Group, founded by Bogart’s sons, and it will be an indie flick but with a studio sized budget. The hunt is on for a director and the plan is to get it in front of cameras by the end of 2012. And yes, there will be a soundtrack album as well.