The first teaser clip previewing the upcoming biopic about music industry executive and Casablanca Records founder Neil Bogart has been shared this week by Variety.
The clip features actors portraying rock legends KISS and delivering a performance of the band's hit song "Rock and Roll All Nite."
While the makeup is definitely off (the license must carry a pretty hefty price tag), the band's mannerisms, costumes and set design are on point for the era. Of course, being the massive KISS fan that I am, I have to see this one!
Directed by Neil Bogart's son Tim Bogart, the film is currently in post production and is being screened to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival market this week.
Variety details, "Founded in 1974 by Neil Bogart, Casablanca Records was the home to KISS, Donna Summer, the Village People and Parliament Funkadelic, among others. The company contributed the first smash extended single to clubs and radio stations all over the world with Summer’s 17-minute 1975 banger 'Love to Love You,' and released 289 albums from more than 140 artists."
Spinning Gold was first conceived in 1990 and has since encountered numerous delays, casting changes, multiple drafts, and was eventually shelved following a decades-long search for the right director. The film resurfaced in 2011 with Tim Bogart attached as writer/director and Justin Timberlake originally in the starring role of Neil Bogart.
"Born Neil Bogatz in the Brooklyn projects where he plotted his dreams and schemes to escape from poverty, Neil Bogart was my father — and it’s taken me over twenty years to finally tell his story," Bogart tells Variety of the long-gestating project. "And I know people say that all the time, but the first option on the film really was back in 1999. From there, through obstacles nearly as challenging as what my father faced in bringing Casablanca Records to the world, the obstacles in bringing this film to light were just as daunting."
Jeremy Jordan ("The Flash") has now been confirmed to play the Casablanca Records founder, alongside Wiz Khalifa ("Dickinson") as George Clinton, Ledisi (Selma) as Gladys Knight, Jason Derulo (Cats) as Ron Isley, Sam Harris as Paul Stanley and Casey Likes as Gene Simmons.
Tayla Parx ("Bones"), Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass), Jay Pharoah ("SNL"), Michelle Monaghan (Gone Baby Gone), Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter franchise), Sebastian Maniscalco (The Irishman), Dan Fogler (Fantastic Beasts franchise), Chris Redd ("SNL"), Peyton List ("The Tomorrow People"), Jimmy Wolk ("Mad Men"), Michael Ian Black ("Stella") and Vinnie Pastore ("The Sopranos") also star.
Watch a clip from Spinning Gold below!
🤘🤘🤘🤘 hopefully this one does KISS justice. We shall see!