Jeremy Allen White is going from chef to Boss, as he portrays Bruce Springsteen in “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” a new movie that chronicles the making of the singer’s classic album, “Nebraska.”
20th Century Studios and Disney will produce and distribute the film, which is based on the book “Deliver Me From Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska” by Warren Zanes. Springsteen and his manager Jon Landau are involved, with Scott Cooper writing and directing.
The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein (“The Maze Runner” trilogy), Eric Robinson, Cooper, Zanes and Scott Stuber are producers. Production on the film is expected to begin this fall.
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime honor to be collaborating with Bruce Springsteen, an inspiring and incomparable artist who represents so much to so many,” David Greenbaum, president of Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios, said in a statement. “The deep authenticity of his story is in great hands with my friend Scott Cooper, whom I am thrilled to be collaborating with once again.”
“Warren Zanes’ ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’ is one of the best books ever written about Bruce Springsteen and his music,” Springsteen’s longtime manager and sometime producer Landau added. “Bruce and I are thrilled that Scott Cooper has chosen to write and direct the film based on that book – we think he’s the perfect filmmaker for the job. Scott, with Producers Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Eric Robinson at The Gotham Group, and Scott Stuber are bringing together a superb team to ensure that this project has the vision and soul that have been the hallmark of Bruce’s 55-year career. We’re thrilled to have the wholehearted commitment and support of the entire team at 20th and Disney.”
“Nebraska” was Springsteen’s follow-up to his sprawling double-album “The River,” a collection of sparse, minimalistic songs depicting a group of fictional characters in blue-collar Nebraska. Springsteen initially recorded the albums as demos on a 4-track recorder, with the intention of re-recording them with the E Street Band. Instead, he released the demos as the album, resulting in one of his most celebrated albums. “Nebraska” is regularly ranked as one of the great albums of the 1980s.
According to the press release, “The book and the film tell the fascinating story of Springsteen’s artistic journey in the creation of the album, which is regarded as a landmark in his musical odyssey and a source of inspiration for a generation of artists and musicians.”
Incredibly, this is the first fictional film built around Springsteen and White will undoubtedly be phenomenal — although Ben Stiller’s Boss will probably make you giggle more.