Jonah Hill is set to play late Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia in a new biopic directed by Martin Scorsese. The film will be released on Apple as part of Scorsese’s first-look deal with the streamer.
Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski (American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson) are penning the film’s script. Alongside Hill and Scorsese, surviving Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann are attached to the project as executive producers. Their participation means that Scorsese will have full access to use the Dead’s music catalog in the film.
The Dead’s storied history dates back to the psychedelic outfit’s formation in the Bay Area during the ’60s. Known for constant touring and prolific musical output, the band’s loyal Deadhead fans alone should provide plenty of material. Garcia died in 1995, although the surviving members have carried on as Dead & Company with the assistance of John Mayer.
Scorsese has helmed a number of rock documentaries over his lengthy career, including 2017’s Long Strange Trip about the Dead. However, this film marks the first time he’s directed a rock biopic. It also marks a reunion between Hill and Scorcese, who first worked together on The Wolf of Wall Street.
Next up for the legendary director is the stacked Killers of the Flower Moon, an adaptation of the non-fiction book of the same name by David Grann featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, John Lithgow, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, Lily Gladstone, and alt-country icons Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson. As for Hill, he co-stars in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, which hits select theaters on December 10th and Netflix on December 24th.
