Netflix’sThe Dirt, a biopic on iconic 80s metal band Motley Crue has announced that rapperMachine Gun Kellywill portray drummer Tommy Lee.The Dirtis based on the band’s 2001 memoir that the band wrote together with author Neil Strauss, which told the tale of the band’s rapid rise to fame on the Sunset Strip with wild tales of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll that make most stories by bands of the same era seem like nursery rhymes. The biopic is being helmed byJackassdirector Jeff Tremaine, who has stated along with theJackasscrew, thatThe Dirtwas an inspiration for the wild TV show and wildly popularJackassmovies.
Variety reports that young rapper Machinegun Kelly, aka Colson Baker, will be playing the wild Motley Crue drummerTommy LeeinThe Dirt. The 27-year old Kelly has shown up on theWWEand has some other minor film work to his name. The rapper took to Twitter to announce his excitement, noting that his brother will be teaching him how to play all of Tommy Lee’s drum parts. He had this to say.
“And it’s finally announced. Excuse me for being crass but… Holy f#$%ing sh!t… I will learn the drums and finish the new album before we start filming.”
Variety also reports that this is the closest thatThe DirtMotley Crue biopic has come to moving forward afteryears of jumping from studio to studio. It landed at Paramount Pictures more than a decade ago. Larry Charles was initially attached to direct the Motely Crue movie for Paramount and MTV Films in 2006. Focus then came on in 2015 while the band was on its final farewell tour. At that point, Tremaine and the current producers were on board. The movie will make its debut on Netflix on a date that has yet to be determined.
Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee revealed in 2014 that they had sat in on some castings with director Jeff Tremaine and noted that the experience as pretty intense, leaving them wondering how they’re going to rate the biopic based on their lives. It was reported last November that British actor Douglas Booth was in talks to play Sixx inThe Dirt, but nothing official has been announced since then.
Motley Crue stormed on to the Sunset Strip in 1981, taking theirdebauched lifestyleon to the stage with them and later to the top of the Billboard charts and all over MTV.The Dirtchronicles their rise to fame along with the inner-band friction that led to the exodus of front man Vince Neil. At this time, there have not been any announcements regarding castings of Neil or guitarist Mick Mars. Fear not, after over a decade, the Motley Crue biopic,The Dirtis finally moving forward and coming toNetflixin the near future.Varietywas the first to announce Machinegun Kelly’s involvement inThe Dirt.
