Foo FIghters drummer, Taylor Hawkins, has signed on to play Iggy Pop in CBGB, a new film about the legendary New York Punk venue.
Other roles to play in the film include Cheetah Chrome, the guitarist for Dead Boys - a punk band who played a prominent role during the club's rise - who will be played by Rupert Grint, while Rock Of Ages actress Malin Akerman is lined up to play Blondie's Debbie Harry. Alan Rickman will appear as venue owner Hilly Kristal, Mickey Sumner will play Patti Smith and Johnny Galecki will take on the role of Television's manager Terry Ork.
The movie will be directed by Randal Miller – who has co-written the script with Jody Savin - and is set to start shooting this month in Savannah, Georgia, before moving to New York. It was recently hinted at that CBGB could be set to reopen in a new location in New York. The assets of the nightspot, which closed in 2006, have been bought by a group of investors who are planning to set up a new annual festival and have also been eyeing up potential new sites, according to reports.
The four-day festival will be kicking off on July the 5th and will take place at around 30 venues across the city, showcasing 300 bands. The rights to the club's assets had been mired in legal disputes since the death of founder Kristal in 2007.