Arnel Pineda, the Filipino singer who went from a YouTube video to frontman for the rock band Journey is getting his own biopic. Deadline reports that Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu will helm the project for Warner Bros.
Temple Hill’s Marty Bowen will produce the as-yet-untitled biopic, while the production is currently searching for writers to tackle the screenplay.
Pineda was originally discovered on YouTube by Journey co-founder Neal Schon. He was so impressed with Pineda’s ability to replicate the vocals of notorious frontman Steve Perry, he revived the band for a new era of stadium tours.
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As Warner Bros. starts the negotiating process to license the original Journey songs, most of which are credited to both Perry and Schon, the studio has already acquired the rights to the 2012 documentary Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey. According to the report, Chu’s vision is to make an empowering movie that will convey the real-life rock ‘n’ roll fairy tale of how a homeless man with a great set of pipes can become a certifiable rock star almost overnight.
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