ONTD

10:27 am - 01/18/2013

Paul Dano to play Brian Wilson in Biopic



Bill Pohlad's film about the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson has been coming together for about eighteen months now, and perhaps the most important piece in the development puzzle has now fallen into place. Paul Dano has signed on to play the troubled musician in Love and Mercy. He'll get to cover Wilson's creative heyday, while another actor is still being sought to portray Wilson in more recent years.

Wilson's ride has been a tough one. The driving force behind surfin' birds The Beach Boys, he knocked out hit after hit in the early '60s, and shepherded the seminal Pet Sounds album to worldwide acclaim and classic status. But the collapse of the ambitious follow-up Smile was the catalyst for a downward spiral ino depression and substance abuse that lasted for decades. There's a happy ending though: in the last fifteen years or so he's enjoyed improved health and a revived music career, which included Smile's belated completion and release.

Plenty or material for a bopic, in other words, although a straight life story is not quite Pohlad's intention. "What's fascinating to me is to look at the different elements in his life, like that super-creative period when he was doing Pet Sounds and the later part when he was redeemed."

Oren Moverman, who was behind I'm Not There, which spilt Bob Dylan's life into constituent parts and saw him essayed by multiple actors, has written the Love And Mercy screenplay. That seems significant, although we wouldn't expect his Wilson film to be quite that off-the-wall. Atticus Ross, who collaborated with Trent Reznor on the music for The Social Network and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, has signed up to oversee the soundtrack.

"I am thrilled that Paul Dano has signed on to play me during one of my most creative explosions and most fulfilling musical times in my career," Wilson said in a press release. "I still can't believe how cool it is that my life will be portrayed on the big screen and to have Bill Pohlad as the captain of the Sloop John B is amazing! It just makes me feel so humble. I can't wait to see it with a full tub of buttered popcorn."

src

HFT!!!
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wauwy 18th-Jan-2013 11:10 am (UTC)
"Who" and "who" was my first reaction, ngl.
mynamehere07 18th-Jan-2013 11:22 am (UTC)
I thought Brian Wilson was dead.
tangerinefriday 18th-Jan-2013 11:29 am (UTC)
ME TOO LOL whoops.


And my sister is always marveling at my classic rock knowledge/ trivia skills. I feel like such a failure rn.
mynamehere07 18th-Jan-2013 11:44 am (UTC)
I could have sworn I had heard a story about one of the Wilson's dying a couple years ago. But when I looked it up, Carl died in the 80's and Dennis died in the 90's. I think I got the Wilsons confused with the Gibbs.
headcaseheidi 18th-Jan-2013 12:17 pm (UTC)
omg
fred2265 18th-Jan-2013 01:39 pm (UTC)
lol..
adrock 18th-Jan-2013 10:56 pm (UTC)
lmao me too, i thought smile was such a big deal 'cause he died while recording it or something
courtkneee1 18th-Jan-2013 11:35 am (UTC)
he has a really annoying face on Ruby Sparks
questanotte 18th-Jan-2013 11:38 am (UTC)
I will never understand that movie.
courtkneee1 18th-Jan-2013 11:40 am (UTC)
lmao the ending? it was embarrassing. but I liked how they wanted to do something different with the trope.
lostinshalott 18th-Jan-2013 02:52 pm (UTC)
god that movie was bad and re-enforces my hatered for steve coogan.
goldengal1193 18th-Jan-2013 11:41 am (UTC)
He will always be Eli Sunday
jessepinkman 18th-Jan-2013 04:35 pm (UTC)
He will always be Paul Sunday
kaiserschmarrn 18th-Jan-2013 11:48 am (UTC)
Is it just me or does Paul Dano look like a young Benedict Cumberbatch?
buncha_cruncha 18th-Jan-2013 02:24 pm (UTC)
There's a slight resemblance...if you told me they were family, I'd believe it
kaiserschmarrn 18th-Jan-2013 02:34 pm (UTC)
Yeah they don't exactly look alike but they seem to share the same ugly gene pool (I feel bad now, I like them both as actors lol).
thelovehater 18th-Jan-2013 03:50 pm (UTC)
This may be the only time that I ever say anything positive about Benedict Cumberbatch, but Paul Dano is noticeably uglier - it is just that he doesn't have (to my knowledge at least) thirsty fangirls attempting to sip sustenance from his dick.
wickedground 18th-Jan-2013 11:49 am (UTC)
good choice tbh.

I should watch LMS again.
opusdeihohoho 18th-Jan-2013 11:51 am (UTC)
nice. but damn dano looks busted.
jennyfinnly 18th-Jan-2013 11:55 am (UTC)
i want some director to make a bizarro casting choice and cast paul dano in a steamy sexy role, ala something they'd normally cast ryan gosling for.

i wanna see what he can do...
tangerinefriday 18th-Jan-2013 11:57 am (UTC)
I didn't know that Oren Moverman did "I'm Not There". Hmmm.


The Messenger was really good, but I haven't heard the same about Rampart.
headcaseheidi 18th-Jan-2013 12:16 pm (UTC)
greatest living songwriter tbh

even if this isn't perfect, it'll still be miles above that mike love produced made-for-tv mess.
tessselate 18th-Jan-2013 05:29 pm (UTC)
brian wilson is so underrated!
michelleantonia 19th-Jan-2013 10:57 am (UTC)
I'm gonna be the one annoying asshole who's like "no". I just don't get it I guess lol
superchocobear 18th-Jan-2013 12:29 pm (UTC)
Never could decide whether I like or hate Paul Dano

His part in the Taking Woodstock movie was awful
mmmfashnik 18th-Jan-2013 12:35 pm (UTC)
They should have gotten Michael Angarano.
anchors_oceans 18th-Jan-2013 12:38 pm (UTC)
came in here to say this.
in_suburb 18th-Jan-2013 12:40 pm (UTC)
I don't know who he is.


but I agree.
honeynutcherri 18th-Jan-2013 12:53 pm (UTC)
I came here to say that too lol.
twoyearsaway 18th-Jan-2013 02:43 pm (UTC)
lmao ditto
chihaya19 18th-Jan-2013 03:20 pm (UTC)
yes.
bellwetherr 18th-Jan-2013 03:30 pm (UTC)
he's so tiny tho lol
steph313 18th-Jan-2013 05:36 pm (UTC)
If they could somehow get him to grow six or seven inches to match Wilson's height, I'd agree.
thisampersand 18th-Jan-2013 12:56 pm (UTC)
paul dano always looks so moist

no ty

electricsparks 18th-Jan-2013 12:58 pm (UTC)
that foundation though
_scarlett_icons 18th-Jan-2013 01:00 pm (UTC)
He'll always be Klitz to me.
lulubelle007 18th-Jan-2013 03:54 pm (UTC)
haha, same here
coldharbourlove 18th-Jan-2013 06:35 pm (UTC)
bahaha same here
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