A Scott Weiland Biopic Is Currently in Development
A new film will delve into the life of late Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Dark Pictures is behind the new film, having acquired the book rights to Weiland's "Not Dead & Not for Sale" memoir.
Weiland first came to fame singing with Stone Temple Pilots in the '90s, but his battles with addiction curtailed a bit of their momentum while at the height of their fame. The singer eventually split with the band before agreeing to front Velvet Revolver in 2002, pairing him with three members of Guns N' Roses' '90s lineup - Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum.
After two records with Velvet Revolver, Weiland exited and agreed to a reunion with Stone Temple Pilots that ran from 2008-2013 before they once again split with the singer. His final years found the singer focused on his solo career and lending vocals to an Art of Anarchy album though proclaiming he was not a member of the band. Weiland died at the age of 48 while on tour with his solo band on Dec. 3, 2015.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Dark Pictures co-founder Jennifer Erwin is a diehard Stone Temple Pilots fan will pen the script for the film's adaptation. Erwin has previously written the psychological thriller Blink and is working on the upcoming TV series Bad Land.
“It’s an honor to have the trust to tell Scott’s story and the ability to portray the lesser known sides of him – the loving and tender man he was, the high school athlete he was, the melancholy soul he was and the legendary frontman that he will always be,” Erwin said in a statement.
“Scott was glamorous, complicated and wounded. His childhood had a big effect on his struggles with addiction,” Dark Pictures co-founder Anne Beagan added in her own statement.
“We want to make the most authentic film possible about this remarkable artist. Beyond Scott’s page turning memoir, connecting with those closest to Scott is important to get the details right. We’re also thrilled to have access to his unreleased music for the film,” continued producer Orian Williams in a statement.
Details on casting and when the biopic will eventually be released have not been revealed.
As a member of Stone Temple Pliots, Weiland was the voice on six of their studio albums including the eight times platinum debut Core and its six time platinum follow-up Purple. His time with Velvet Revolver yielded the double-platinum debut Contraband and its 2007 follow-up Libertad. Weiland issued four solo albums with his debut solo record, 12 Bar Blues, being the most successful.