Francis Lawrence to Direct Sublime Biopic for 3000 Pictures

One of the most iconic punk rock bands of the 1990s is set to receive a story on the big screen, as a biopic on the band Sublime is currently in production, with Francis Lawrence of The Hunger Games franchise slated to direct. According to Deadline, the still-untitled film is currently in development at Sony Pictures through their joint ventures 3000 Pictures and Chernin Entertainment, where it is being helmed by Dave Kaplan and Peter Paterno.

The duo were “driving forces behind the property for years,” according to Deadline, and have now finally gotten pre-production underway. Speaking of driving forces, the pair will have one such force writing for them, as the project has tapped Chris Mundy of Ozark to pen the script. Mundy’s screenplays have contributed to the wild success of Ozark, earning the writer five Emmy nominations, and he will now look to translate that success to movie theaters.

While additional details on the film remain slim, bringing Lawrence on as director means that the project already has one large Hollywood name attached. Lawrence is best known for directing four out of the five films in The Hunger Games franchise, making him wildly succcessful, at least in terms of box office earnings. He is also directing the upcoming Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and was recently tapped to direct the upcoming Bioshock film adaptation. Lawrence will also serve as a producer on the Sublime film, along with Kaplan, Paterno, Jenno Topping, David Ready, Scott Seine and Cameron MacConomy.

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The film will continue the Hollywood trend of musical biopics, with films such as Elvis and Bohemian Rhapsody becoming major box office hits in recent years. The Sublime film will reportedly tell the story of the band’s formation in the late 1980s, with the Long Beach, California-based trio rising among the punk rock and ska ranks to become one of the most recognizable alternative bands, with hit songs like “Santeria” and “Wrong Way.” While the band always had a devoted fanbase, it was the tragic death of lead singer Bradley Nowell in 1996 that garnered increased interest in the group, and cemented their status among the greatest bands of the decade.

The film will have some assistance from the band themselves, as the group’s remaining members, Bud Gaugh and Eric Wilson, will also serve as executive producers along with Nowell’s widow and son, Troy Nowell and Jakob Nowell. “We can’t believe this is finally happening, and we couldn’t be more honored and excited to have the great Francis Lawrence and Chris Mundy telling our story,” Gaugh, Wilson and the Nowells said in a statement. “We are so grateful to Peter Paterno and Dave Kaplan/Surfdog for their years of persistence and vision in getting this film going and thankful to Sony’s 3000 Pictures and Chernin Entertainment for believing in us and getting it on the big screen.”

Kaplan added, “We’re thrilled Sublime’s insanely cool and important story will finally be told. They were fearless and pioneering in bringing together so many musical genres, cultures and lifestyles during their short time as a band, and their music is still influencing musicians and artists to this day.”

A release date for the untitled film has not yet been announced.