The director of “Crazy Rich Asians”, Jon M. Chu is reportedly teaming up with Warner Bros. to make a movie about “Arnel Pineda”, according to Deadline.com.
Arnel Pineda is a Filipino singer who rose from obscurity to become the lead singer of the American rock band Journey.
He was discovered on YouTube by Journey co-founder and guitarist Neal Schon, who was at that time looking for a singer who could replicate the vocals of the band’s original singer, Steve Perry.
Joining the band in 2007, Arnel Pineda’s vocals helped bring back Journey in stadiums for jampacked concerts once again.
With Pineda as lead singer, Journey has released the best-selling albums ‘Revelation’ (2008) and ‘Eclipse’ (2011).
Rights and Licensing for Arnel Pineda’s story
The fairy-tale like story of Arnel Pineda’s ascent to fame, has been chronicled in the 2012 documentary “Don’t Stop Believin: Everyman’s Journey” by award-winning Filipino-American documentary filmmaker, Ramona S. Diaz.
Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey Official Trailer
[ref: Movieclips Indie]
Warner Bros. has reportedly acquired the rights to Diaz’s documentary and is also currently negotiating to license the original songs of Journey.
Marty Bowen will produce the Arnel Pineda biopic, and Kevin McCormick will oversee the project for the studio. The search is ongoing for a writer of this inspirational story about a poor, homeless talented Filipino singer who became an international rock star.
In a statement to Deadline, Director Jon M. Chu said:
“This story in particular has been on my mind since I first read about it years ago. A true fairy tale and triumph of the human spirit. An unlikely hero, an undeniable talent, the power of music and a worldwide stage (literally) has all the ingredients I love about movies. Plus I have been a fan of Journey’s music since I can remember.”
With the success of 20th Century Fox’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, which has raked in more than $550 million gross worldwide, Warner Bros. is throwing its hat into the ring. And with the rags to riches story of Arnel Pineda, Warner Bros. just might score a big win.
