Bottle Shock Filmmakers Go Drumming With Dennis Wilson Of The Beach Boys

Bottle Shock of a film on Dennis planned for Beach Boys 50th

HOLLYWOOD, CA (Hollywood Today) 8/10/10 – Randall Miller & Jody Savin, the filmmaking team behind the Sundance and indie hit BOTTLE SHOCK are following that success with another true to life tale, this time about Dennis Wilson, the heartthrob and drummer of The Beach Boys.

THE DRUMMER follows the last six years of Wilson’s life in which he created some of the finest music of his career.  The only Beach Boy who surfed, Dennis Wilson ironically drowned in 1983 in Marina Del Rey shortly after he finished and released Pacific Ocean Blue, his one and only solo album. The album was re-released last year to four and five star reviews and was named the best re-release of the year by Rolling Stone.

“Dennis was a pained and tortured soul, yet brilliant and loved dearly by so many who knew him.  This film has the makings of a tour-de-force performance in the hands of the right actor,” adds Miller.  “As a director, I search for stories that expose the soul of a character in new territories that excite me as a filmmaker.”   They are looking at several name actors for the lead role.

Savin will write the screenplay and Miller will direct as they did previously on the Alan Rickman & Chris Pine starrer BOTTLE SHOCK.  “Pacific Ocean Blue is an amazing album–beautiful and sweet, haunting and complex,” says Savin.  Miller & Savin will produce the film under their production banner Unclaimed Freight Productions along with Brad Rosenberger, Senior Vice President of Warner-Chappell Music Group who brought the project to the filmmakers.

Carl B. Wilson and Jennifer Wilson will serve as co-producers on the picture, taking an active role, and will bring the support of the entire family.  Unclaimed Freight secured the rights from the Dennis Wilson Estate and Shelley Surpin who negotiated the rights deal on behalf of the Wilson Family.  Music rights were secured under the same deal.

Miller adds, “The soundtrack will feature Dennis’ music from Pacific Ocean Blue as well as previously unreleased Dennis Wilson music and music from the Beach Boys as well.  The music is another character in the film and we are proud to have Rosenberger and the Wilsons along as our producing partners to help guide the music.”

The film is scheduled to shoot in January and finish the film in time for the 50^th Anniversary of The Beach Boys, which is 2011.