Adam Shankman is a busy, busy man. Since directing 2005’s The Pacifier and Cheaper By the Dozen, Shankman has barely had a break, taking on numerous projects directing, producing, and choreographing films, as well as being a judge on the hit show So You Think You Can Dance. Now Shankman is adding another project to his résumé with a film version of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages.
Rock of Ages has been incredibly successful on the stage (the play has earned five Tony nominations), and if his work with Hairspray is any indicator, Shankman is just the man to make the stage production translate to the big screen.
With films such as dance flicks Step Up and Step Up 2: The Streets and the hit musical Hairspray to his credit, Shankman has had experience working in genres that may have less widespread appeal than some. This is part of the reason Rock of Ages caught Shankman’s interest.
According to Daily Variety, Shankman said of Rock of Ages:
I had the best time of my life making ‘Hairspray’ and badly wanted another musical, and when I watched ‘Rock of Ages,’ I was struck by the fact that not only had much of the audience seen it more than once, every guy in the audience knew the words to the songs…What an extraordinary opportunity to open the genre to an audience that otherwise wouldn’t go see a musical.
Chris D’Arienzo, the creator of the play, also wrote the script to adapt Rock of Ages to the screen, which should help his original artistic plan for the piece to transition between mediums.
The musical is the story of two people who meet at a club (Rock of Ages) on the Sunset Strip, fall in love, and try developing a relationship, all set to a soundtrack of 80s rock anthems. New Line Cinema is currently working on getting the rights to use songs by such 80s stars as Journey, Twisted Sister, Joan Jett, Bon Jobi, Pat Benatar, and others.
No actors have been cast yet, but Shankman hopes to fill the roles with big Hollywood names. His vision for the film would also, ideally, be shot on location in Los Angeles.
Production on Rock of Ages will begin by next summer, to be released by Warner Bros. in 2011.
