Michael Mayer confirms that Billie will play the role of St Jimmy in American Idiot movie

[Dirntbag]

Made this and put it up on my tumblr

[Laurina]

I don't care how long it takes, I'm damn excited to see Billie do this

Me too

[The Grohl]

Right now I really have no opinion about this aside from AI shouldn't be a movie. Just let it be the amazing album it is.

[Guest]

tbh i know he hasn't been that great in a lot of his previous acting roles but i think he could work this really well. he knows the character better than anyone else, he could really show us a side to it no other actor could. that's what makes this perfect.

[Heather.]

Yeah Billie may have been good as St Jimmy in the musicial but film is an ENTIRELY different ballgame...

That's why there are TONS of broadway and musicals actors and actresses who only do broadway and musicals...

And vice versa

Is anyone else simply excited to see Billie try and possibly fail? That's why we admire him to begin with. He's doing things so wildly out of his comfort zone, and yeah, it might be 100% cringe-worthy and he might get torn apart by fans and critics alike, but just to see someone break new boundaries for themselves and dare to take risks is enough for me to support his being in the movie, even if we know that yeah, maybe it won't be what we all hope it will be.

[Slave To The Network]

If you are one of those people who think Billie will fuck up the role in the movies, just look at his performance here. He did an incredible job on Broadway! You all seem to have forgotten that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaK3OHd3x7g

[EmmaCharlatan&Saints]

If you are one of those people who think Billie will fuck up the role in the movies, just look at his performance here. He did an incredible job on Broadway! You all seem to have forgotten that.

Again theatre acting/musicals is an entirely different ball game to acting in front of a camera. Just because he nailed it on stage it doesnt mean he would nail it in front of a camera especially if it would be more dialouge orientated as far as ive seen his acting on tv and such its just not good really

[WhiteTim]

If you are one of those people who think Billie will fuck up the role in the movies, just look at his performance here. He did an incredible job on Broadway! You all seem to have forgotten that.

]

Again there's a big difference in broadway and acting in a movie

And for the record im not rooting for him to fail at all

[!]

Does this really need to happen? I'd honestly rather see it in animated form.

[Beerjeezus]

I really hate to say, but I don't want this to happen. The album is awesome and I believe that the musical is good too (I haven't seen it), but I think that this movie isn't a good idea. And Billie playing in it, too - he's a bad actor. I mean it's not even funny. I'm sure it will make a lot of money, but that's all.

They should do something new instead.

[Heather.]

If you are one of those people who think Billie will fuck up the role in the movies, just look at his performance here. He did an incredible job on Broadway! You all seem to have forgotten that.

I WANT to see Billie do this, and hopefully do it well, but his successful Broadway performance is frankly no indication of on-screen acting. The over-expressiveness of theater looks like campy, shitty acting on screen, so he would essentially have to do the opposite of what he does successfully. Billie has never been a subtle, understated performer, and that's something he would need to harness as a film actor. He can do it, but those skills won't come from his Broadway skills. Maybe his inner St. Jimmy skills will be helpful, and I'm sure he will get a lot of good advice from a lot of people. But I'm not basing it on his performance on Broadway.

[GDM]

Miss you. Wish you'd come around more often!

Aw, thank you! You, too! I'm mostly lurking these days, lol. Plus, I never know what to say beyond 140 characters these days, haha.

Regarding whether Billie Joe should do the role or not, I'm one of the biggest and harshest theater critics I know, lol. You should read my first review of AI after Berkerly. Blech, I hated it. But the show grew on me a lot and after seeing Mr. Armstrong in the musical more times than I should really say, I have no doubt in my mind that the role should be done by him and him alone. I would not say that unless I truly believed it. Anyway, that's my 2 cents about that.

[yuridookie]

Perfect

[SEAtacticsFTW]

This movie has to be catered to no one to work. They would have to write the most compelling script. If they fuck this up then its a joke, people don't like jokes. Unless its Transformers 2, then we are all in on the joke. Anyways, I don't want this to happen at all, Billie from I have seen isn't a really good actor.

[olstjimmy]

I'm torn.

Part of me would like to see a film version of American Idiot because it does tell a compelling tale of disenchanted youth. But then part of me does not want because I'm unsure it will be told WELL in live action film form.

And that's the thing. It's about youth, about growing up and fucking up. And you can get some really good up and coming or established actors to do that. Or a mix of both.

But in acting roles, Billie Joe hasn't been good. Maybe he will be good in a film based on his work. We won't know until it happens. IF it actually does happen.

Part of me doesn't want to see Green Day constantly riding their fame on American Idiot, and rehashing it in different ways. I want to see them continue to make new albums, to flop and to make pure gold.

An American Idiot film will probably draw in crowds to start with, but it will end up being a cult film that only people like us may watch more than once. And that's not going to make it successful for them either.

[EmmaCharlatan&Saints]

50 bucks this will never see the light of day and if it ever does it wont be for about 5 years and Billie wont be in the role of St Jimmy

[Heather.]

Aw, thank you! You, too! I'm mostly lurking these days, lol. Plus, I never know what to say beyond 140 characters these days, haha.

Regarding whether Billie Joe should do the role or not, I'm one of the biggest and harshest theater critics I know, lol. You should read my first review of AI after Berkerly. Blech, I hated it. But the show grew on me a lot and after seeing Mr. Armstrong in the musical more times than I should really say, I have no doubt in my mind that the role should be done by him and him alone. I would not say that unless I truly believed it. Anyway, that's my 2 cents about that.

This made me realize that my reservations about Billie starring in the film are about the same as having ANY of the Broadway cast be in the adaptation. They are excellent theater actors but I frankly don't know if I want to see John Gallagher portray Johnny in the film (if this is being considered. Rent secured a majority of its original Broadway cast for the adaptation, even though they were ten years older). Michael does love John, and the cast, and I'd bet he would want them all in the film, and I'm as dubious about that decision as I am about Billie in general. (Then again, it's the same question as what kind of filmmaker is Michael Mayer?)

The whole project is really just destined to be awesome or terrible, much like the musical. I know it's in good hands, and it's exciting and scary to think about what will come of it.

I'm torn.

Part of me would like to see a film version of American Idiot because it does tell a compelling tale of disenchanted youth. But then part of me does not want because I'm unsure it will be told WELL in live action film form.

And that's the thing. It's about youth, about growing up and fucking up. And you can get some really good up and coming or established actors to do that. Or a mix of both.

But in acting roles, Billie Joe hasn't been good. Maybe he will be good in a film based on his work. We won't know until it happens. IF it actually does happen.

Part of me doesn't want to see Green Day constantly riding their fame on American Idiot, and rehashing it in different ways. I want to see them continue to make new albums, to flop and to make pure gold.

An American Idiot film will probably draw in crowds to start with, but it will end up being a cult film that only people like us may watch more than once. And that's not going to make it successful for them either.

I don't see them as riding their fame with this, I see it as this is the byproduct of what can and should happen to an album worthy of multiple media interpretations. This album deserved to become more than just an album, and it has, and it still can, and that's what makes it exciting.

To the extent that most musicals are "cult films," sure. The thing that's exciting about musicals is that random people, Green Day fans or not, want to see them just because it's so rare to see a musical in theaters. Honestly, think about it, only one or two musical films are released into the mainstream every year. People either hate musicals or they love musicals, and people will go see this. Maybe it's because of what Rent did to me to make me so enthusiastic, but an enticing trailer will draw in thousands of new fans. I had never heard of Rent, or any of the music in it, and never really watched musicals before 2005, and when I saw the trailer for it with that dramatic movie voice saying "The musical phenomenon that defined a generation...." I was hooked from the trailer. This movie, whenever it comes out, could speak to a new generation of teenagers in the way that a Broadway musical that came out in 1995 (Rent) spoke to me for the first time in 2005. I'm talking about Rent because I think it's a comparable sex-and-drugs rock musical. And FWIW, Rent got average reviews and isn't exactly a masterpiece of a movie, but it DID something to people, it MOVED a lot of people to embrace the music and story. If AI does just that, I'll be happy.

[Hermione]

Aww yeah! I don't much care for musicals so I wouldn't have been particularly excited to see a film of it. However I'm a massive fan of seeing Billie performing in all forms , so I'll enjoy seeing him do so in this very much.

Also regardless of how good the film will be, as far as I'm concerned trying something new is always a good thing. Billie doing something artistic and creative can only help get his creative juices flowing and expand his experience and talent as a performer. Especially doing something as close to home as playing a character that is basically a part of himself. Has the potential to be really interesting for him and and us I think.

[olstjimmy]

I don't see them as riding their fame with this, I see it as this is the byproduct of what can and should happen to an album worthy of multiple media interpretations. This album deserved to become more than just an album, and it has, and it still can, and that's what makes it exciting.

To the extent that most musicals are "cult films," sure. The thing that's exciting about musicals is that random people, Green Day fans or not, want to see them just because it's so rare to see a musical in theaters. Honestly, think about it, only one or two musical films are released into the mainstream every year. People either hate musicals or they love musicals, and people will go see this. Maybe it's because of what Rent did to me to make me so enthusiastic, but an enticing trailer will draw in thousands of new fans. I had never heard of Rent, or any of the music in it, and never really watched musicals before 2005, and when I saw the trailer for it with that dramatic movie voice saying "The musical phenomenon that defined a generation...." I was hooked from the trailer. This movie, whenever it comes out, could speak to a new generation of teenagers in the way that a Broadway musical that came out in 1995 (Rent) spoke to me for the first time in 2005. I'm talking about Rent because I think it's a comparable sex-and-drugs rock musical. And FWIW, Rent got average reviews and isn't exactly a masterpiece of a movie, but it DID something to people, it MOVED a lot of people to embrace the music and story. If AI does just that, I'll be happy.

When I say I am worried they are using the fame of this album that's just what I mean, that I am worried. Not saying they are but I can't help thinking it.

Also, I didn't mean it being cult due to it being a musical. I was thinking more because of who they are. Also I was thinking the film was meant to be scripted spoken word rather than musical? Or do we not know yet? I really enjoyed the scripted parts of the Jesus of Suburbia video, and I'd hope they'd go with something with a similar feeling. Which would make sense because Michael Mayer XD.

I hope if it does get made into a film that it is the tale of disenchanted youth that was played out in the musical version. It's basically a timeless tale that could speak to many people for many years.

I'm not really knocking it to be honest, I'm just worried about how it may turn out, and the chance it may not be good. Not necessarily for me either. I'm sure there's a lot of people out there who would be excited for this to happen.

[tdlyon]

I imagine if this ever happened it would be pretty similar to the movie versions of The Who's Tommy and Pink Floyd's The Wall...

Take that however you want.

[Iain]

Face it, this movie is far from seeing the light of day let alone played from the light of a projector. This lil' bit of info is useful to know but I highly doubt we're gonna see this movie for a long time, if at all.

Part of me thinks it will never be made.

[Heather.]

When I say I am worried they are using the fame of this album that's just what I mean, that I am worried. Not saying they are but I can't help thinking it.

Also, I didn't mean it being cult due to it being a musical. I was thinking more because of who they are. Also I was thinking the film was meant to be scripted spoken word rather than musical? Or do we not know yet? I really enjoyed the scripted parts of the Jesus of Suburbia video, and I'd hope they'd go with something with a similar feeling. Which would make sense because Michael Mayer XD.

I hope if it does get made into a film that it is the tale of disenchanted youth that was played out in the musical version. It's basically a timeless tale that could speak to many people for many years.

I'm not really knocking it to be honest, I'm just worried about how it may turn out, and the chance it may not be good. Not necessarily for me either. I'm sure there's a lot of people out there who would be excited for this to happen.

I'm pretty sure it would be a movie musical. I can't imagine Billie playing St. Jimmy and not singing.

[Sarasaurus]

Hmm. Not sure how I'm feeling about Billie playing the role

Tre better get a part xD

[olstjimmy]

I'm pretty sure it would be a movie musical. I can't imagine Billie playing St. Jimmy and not singing.

Yeh that's what I was thinking. I was assuming he'd be St. Jimmy to sing... but then I thought it was going to be all live action scripted and then I was like.... *UNSURE* T_T

[R_Z-Log]

Sorry, this is mildly off topic (feel free to direct me to another thread if there is one), but I'm honestly much more interested in seeing Broadway Idiot than I am in the movie version of American Idiot. Any word on wide theater release, or dvd release for Broadway Idiot??