I’ve always suspected that Martin Scorsese might be a Deadhead, (he produced the Grateful Dead documentary Long Strange Trip in 2017), but now we have confirmation.
According to Deadline, the filmmaker is slated to direct and produce a biopic about the band’s frontman, Jerry Garcia, starring Jonah Hill—also attached as a producer—as the legendary hippie shredder.
Writing the film are Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, a longtime writing duo who also wrote Ed Wood and The People vs. Larry Flynt. Other producers of the film include Grateful Dead founding members Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Bill Kreutzmann, drummer Mickey Hart, and Garcia’s daughter Trixie Garcia.
Thanks to this cooperation between the band and production, Apple/Scorsese will be able to use the Dead’s entire music catalogue in the movie.
Though there’s no word yet on what exactly the film will include, it’s impossible to deny that the band has a very rich history, and any part of it would make for a fascinating film. From their role in the counterculture of the 1960s to their iconic appearance at Woodstock, the band has no shortage of great stories. It’s also fitting for Apple, which has been building up its library of originals with music documentaries—and Scorsese’s next film, Killers of the Flower Moon.