Roger Daltrey Gives Update On Keith Moon Biopic

Keith Moon, the drummer for The Who, is considered one of rock and roll’s most memorable figures. His former bandmate, Roger Daltrey, who has been helping with the film production of the late drummer’s biopic gave an update about the ongoing project.

Moon was a well-renowned musician who became controversial for his “hedonistic” and frequently “destructive” off-stage behavior. In the past, he was reported for blowing up bathrooms and wrecking hotel rooms. At the age of 32, the very powerful drummer died due to an overdose.

Since 2005, the idea of creating a biopic for Moon has surfaced. Back then, Mike Myers of Wayne’s World and Saturday Night Live was chosen to play the role of the late drummer. However, the project did not push through the intervening years. Daltrey, one of the movie’s executive producers along with Pete Townshend, recently provided an update on the movie’s present state and they also explained why things have taken so long.

As per Daltrey, the movie is nearing completion. He said:

“I’m at a draft that’s ready to go to directors. I’m waiting on a reply from a director that I was talking to prior to starting writing the script. I’m very pleased with the script, it will be made. As soon as soon as he’s finished the film that he’s on, he will read it and I’ll get a reply from him. Hopefully we’ll get it made ASAP.”

He also added that one of the things that slow them down is getting the right script. He explained:

“It’s a tricky one, and it’s taken me a long, long time. A myriad of writers came up with failed scripts to finally make me sit down and write the kind of story I had in my head of how to tell a story that engages people, that really does expose the full Moon.”

Reflecting on his late bandmate, Daltrey admitted:

“He was flawed, like we all are.” But then he defended that Moon was “wonderful and he was an absolute uncontrolled genius. And people like him are greatly missed in life today, because life is so full of fucking mediocrity, it’s unbelievable.”

Although Mike Myers was initially considered, Daltrey explained that the actor is too old for the part and he did consider other artists to play Moon’s character. He continued:

“I’ve got someone in mind as a template, but he might be too old to play Keith. But I’ve got a template, which is the most useful thing,” says Daltrey. “Mike [Myers] would have been great at that time but he’s too old now, unfortunately. But I do have someone in mind who’s a very very, very good actor. But again, he might be too old but he’s a template. So I can use him to bounce other people [off] and look at their screen presence. Because there was something about the original Moon that has to be there in whoever I get to play Keith Moon in this.”

The Who made two more albums before splitting up in 1983. They hired Kenney Jones to replace Moon and he participated in several band reunions too.