Pop stars and musicians are on the brain these days. 2018 was defined by Lady Gaga turning into a fictional pop star on the big screen in Bradley Cooper’s “A Star Is Born”—which just won Grammys last night—and then following that film, Natalie Portman played a pop ingénue dealing with her trauma in Bradley Corbet’s artsy, unconventional pop star movie “Vox Lux.” Now, we’ve got Ellen Fanning in “Teen Spirit,” and she’s coming to the screen accompanied by a massive crew of musical heavy hitters that are lending their songs to her movie.
Directed by the actor Max Minghella (“Art School Confidential,” “The Handmaid’s Tale”, the song of the great director Anthony Minghella (“The English Patient,” (1996) and “The Talented Mr. Ripley”), “Teen Spirit,” obviously giving a nod to the classic Nirvana song, is a bit of a rags to riches story of a young shy girl who rises in the pop world to become a star. But of course, it’s competitive and cutthroat and challenges her notions of what being a famous singer can and should be. Here’s the official synopsis:
Violet (Elle Fanning) is a shy teenager who dreams of escaping her small town and pursuing her passion to sing. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a local singing competition that will test her integrity, talent, and ambition. Driven by a pop-fueled soundtrack, Teen Spirit is a visceral and stylish spin on the Cinderella story.
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Co-starring Rebecca Hall, Zlatko Buric, Agnieszka Grochowska and produced by Fred Berger (“La La Land”), “Teen Spirit” comes with that aforementioned group of musical ringers. The movie features Elle Fanning performing music by Robyn, Ellie Goulding, Tegan & Sara, Annie Lennox, Orbital, Sigrid, Carly Rae Jepsen & Jack Antonoff, and music by Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Grimes, The Undertones, Aqua, Alice Deejay, Whitfield, Major Lazer, and No Doubt. This one will be stacked with good tunes, and should carry a hell of a soundtrack.
“Teen Spirit” debuted at the fall film festival circuit last year, world premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival and Bleeker Street has set the movie for an April 5, 2019 release date. Here’s the new trailer, give it a watch.