Brian Wilson Biopic To Be Penned By I’m Not There Scribe

The life of Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson is making its way to the big screen.

Producers Bill Pohlad and John Wells recently attained the life rights of Wilson and his wife Melinda. The team also hired on I’m Not There co-writer Oren Moverman to write the screenplay. Moverman, who seems to have been pigeonholed for music biopics, is currently working on a film detailing the life of Kurt Cobain.

According to Screendaily.com, the film will “focus on Wilson’s work, his fight with mental illness, and his loving relationship with Melinda.”

Even though Wilson is best know for writing cheerful tunes with complex harmonies and Spectoresque pop compositions, there is no lack of controversial fodder from his past to dramatize on the screen. In fact, his infamy nearly outweighs his fame.

Wilson’s drug abuse and mental breakdowns derailed his major presence in the Beach Boys after their 1966 masterpiece Pet Sounds, which is regarded as one of the best albums of the past 50 years.

After Pet Sounds, Wilson set out to create his magnum opus in the form of Smile. His work on the album, however, never saw the light of day due to tensions in the band. Capitol Records plan to release a Beach Boys version of Smile on August 9, even though Wilson released his own version in 2004.

Despite his past controversy, Wilson summed up his role as a musician and a songwriter in a 1988 interview with Paul Zollo.

“First of all, I want people to understand that I’m here to create for them. To create music for people so they’ll know that I’m a source of love. And they can depend on my name.”