Warner Bros. Aborted Led Zeppelin Movie Project

[Disco Duck]

It doesn't surprise me in the slightest that Percy ended up being the "stick in the mud" for this project!  He appears to have a long running HABIT of saying "NO!!" to anyone or anything that may throw light on how more involvement HE may have had in what has been customarily put on Page!  I find it quite disgusting that Robert Plant constantly "pisses" on Page's shoes at EVERY GIVEN OPPORTUNITY! Apparently, he was raised to "bite the hand that MADE HIM FAMOUS!"

Everything isn't always about Jimmy Page.  Plant putting the kibbosh on Zep films or reunions probably has more to do with his desire to be taken seriously as a solo artist then any wish to diss Page.  Still, you raise a good question about Plant's possible involvement in some of the more notorious Zep shenanigans.  One of the A&R men who traveled with the band mentioned that Plant once used an ax to tear a hole in the wall separating their hotel rooms then stuck his head in the hole and announced, "I am the prince of peace!"  By all accounts, Plant did his share of groupie mongering. He also did his share of cocaine.  Unlike the rest of the Zep camp, he didn't become addicted to it.  

[Mithril46]

I think the idea about a movie about a specific era sounds best, but I still can't quite imagine what actor(s)

could pull off the literally cosmic personalities required. Any suggestions ??

I don't blame Plant for his stance on this matter, as all the wildness and debauchery could be exaggerated

to kingdom come, and as he is getting old, would again be asked to explain events of his youth. The Doors

movie was good, but alas, it too went ballistic on Morrison's alleged behavior. Page is okay with this ??

As long as they don't have the Page actor starving himself down to AIDS patient thinness and speedballing

and simultaneously gulping down half a bottle of Jack's.

 

[Strider]

I think the idea about a movie about a specific era sounds best, but I still can't quite imagine what actor(s)

could pull off the literally cosmic personalities required. Any suggestions ??

I don't blame Plant for his stance on this matter, as all the wildness and debauchery could be exaggerated

to kingdom come, and as he is getting old, would again be asked to explain events of his youth. The Doors

movie was good, but alas, it too went ballistic on Morrison's alleged behavior. Page is okay with this ??

As long as they don't have the Page actor starving himself down to AIDS patient thinness and speedballing

and simultaneously gulping down half a bottle of Jack's.

Remember, this was nearly 20 years ago. Page's stance on a film might be entirely different now and he may be no more interested than Plant at this point.

In answer to your first question, there are no actors who could believably portray Jimmy, Robert, John and John Paul in their prime.

[The Rover]

If a Led Zeppelin Movie is ever made, I'd like to suggest that

Phil Campion be given an audition for the role of Peter Grant.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoI2IydWHTu4aXAUq0QXE1Q

[Box of Jimmy's]

The movie is still in the works as is Page' new music and tour.  remember now....Page is on the touchlines; lol

[Crag Keeper]

Since there are no serious forums out there anymore, I thought I'd give this one a whirl. 

This my first post here.  Years ago there was a privately funded "Planet Zeppelin" which was a great group of peeps. So.... hello to anyone who remembers those days. 

I'm a 61 year old fan from the early of days and have seen nearly every tour (except the first and the ill fated last).  

In response to the Movie that was supposed to be made, I was very disappointed that a deal could not be done.

I have also been to every tour that Plant did as solo except Shaken/Stirred.  And the Firm. and the No Quarter tour.

I'll say this: I really enjoy much of Plant's "attitude" regarding his ongoing search for quality, new music.

But I'll also say that at every solo show I've attended, the crowd goes the most crazy at the mere hint of a Zep song. Even when "reworked".

But Ill add this to a confused list of puzzlements :   As promising as the 02 one off London reunion was, there's no denying the fact that much of what made Zep great was the sense of "improvised partying" during their shows.   The 02 was missing that element.  Plant's solo shows miss that element as well. 

Seems no one is daring enough to take chances in our antiseptic modern world of "product delivery".    

But the movie should have been done.

[Strider]

3 hours ago, Crag Keeper said:

But the movie should have been done.

My answer is the same every time someone brings this up: There is no way you could credibly cast a Led Zeppelin movie.

It would end up like the horrendous disaster of HBO's "Vinyl". A thoroughly researched and archival footage documentary is the only way to go.

[76229]

37 minutes ago, Strider said:

My answer is the same every time someone brings this up: There is no way you could credibly cast a Led Zeppelin movie.

It would end up like the horrendous disaster of HBO's "Vinyl". A thoroughly researched and archival footage documentary is the only way to go.

Totally agree. Who in Hollywood looks like Plant or Page and can act?

[the chase]

1 minute ago, 76229 said:

Totally agree. Who in Hollywood looks like Plant or Page and can act?

I remember reading Gary Oldman was supposed play Jimmy.. He's one of the world's best living actors, so I don't doubt he would have been great. I doubt the screenplay being any good.

I'm also in the thorough Documentary camp. A bio pic would most likely be terrible no matter how good the cast. 

I would have loved to see Sacha Baron Cohen play Freddie Mercury.. I mean seeing it is happening.. Shame that didn't pan out. 

[rm2551]

45 minutes ago, the chase said:

I would have loved to see Sacha Baron Cohen play Freddie Mercury.. I mean seeing it is happening.. Shame that didn't pan out.

Wait till you see who is playing Freddie. We saw him in his Queen tribute show here, and he IS Freddie Mercury. The guy has the look and the voice that is as close as you can get, and has a great stage presence and showmanship. It was one of the best concerts I've seen (admittedly, not very many concerts under my belt). He had a top notch band backing him. They nailed it perfectly.

[the chase]

24 minutes ago, rm2551 said:

Wait till you see who is playing Freddie. We saw him in his Queen tribute show here, and he IS Freddie Mercury. The guy has the look and the voice that is as close as you can get, and has a great stage presence and showmanship. It was one of the best concerts I've seen (admittedly, not very many concerts under my belt). He had a top notch band backing him. They nailed it perfectly.

Cool. Thanks!

[Bozoso73]

17 hours ago, Strider said:

It would end up like the horrendous disaster of HBO's "Vinyl"

As good as HBO is at some things this was abysmal. . .I think the guy who played Percy is Percy in a LZ cover band. . (I could be wrong). . 

[76229]

28 minutes ago, Bozoso73 said:

As good as HBO is at some things this was abysmal. . .I think the guy who played Percy is Percy in a LZ cover band. . (I could be wrong). . 

I'm sure the presence of Jagger on the Executive Producer's list is a coincidence, in a show that had an entire episode making Zep look gormless. "don't talk to me I'm just the singer" is an insult to Plant, implying he had no interest in the band's direction. Terrible show

[Mithril46]

Is there a movie about Frank Sinatra, or Jimi Hendrix which features actors ?? Forget it, Forget it. Zep and the names I

mentioned have deep human frailties, yet also have almost Greek God like abilities and powers. Jim Morrison IMO

had far more human weakness in the end than "magical power", and hence somewhat easier to portray. He was a

pretty good poet, hardly a genius, but I guess he was one of the first rock "performance artists".

[IpMan]

1 hour ago, Mithril46 said:

Is there a movie about Frank Sinatra, or Jimi Hendrix which features actors ?? Forget it, Forget it. Zep and the names I

mentioned have deep human frailties, yet also have almost Greek God like abilities and powers. Jim Morrison IMO

had far more human weakness in the end than "magical power", and hence somewhat easier to portray. He was a

pretty good poet, hardly a genius, but I guess he was one of the first rock "performance artists".

I lke Val Kilmer as an actor but he completely screwed up the role. However I lay blame at Oliver Stone's feet, not Kilmer. He turned Morrison into some sort of moronic characterature of himself and took what were strange moments and turned them into bad jokes. Plus the movie is crazy inaccurate to the point of absurdity. The place the infamous New Haven event as 1968 when it happened in 67', and the incident never went down even remotely how Stone portrayed it.

The Doors movie was likely the reason any possible Zeppelin movie was quickly scrapped. Then years later, that horrible Vinyl episode just confirmed the bands well founded fears.

Love him or hate him, Morrison's legacy did not deserve that kind of treatment. 

[Mithril46]

Yeah, sure, in the Doors movie the slightest random good or bad thought or incident would send Morrison into a beautiful or

terrifying psychosis. Bonham's estate also(somehow ??) might be furious as to Bonzo's portrayal in a Zep movie, in which

he obviously would be the devil incarnate. Page would be next , probably showed standing within a magickal circle with

other figures in hooded black robes. Ha Ha. Too bad Page is so secretive, a parody or satire of Zep (Spinal Tap is maybe

30% Zep at most) could be hysterical.

[IpMan]

7 hours ago, Mithril46 said:

Yeah, sure, in the Doors movie the slightest random good or bad thought or incident would send Morrison into a beautiful or

terrifying psychosis. Bonham's estate also(somehow ??) might be furious as to Bonzo's portrayal in a Zep movie, in which

he obviously would be the devil incarnate. Page would be next , probably showed standing within a magickal circle with

other figures in hooded black robes. Ha Ha. Too bad Page is so secretive, a parody or satire of Zep (Spinal Tap is maybe

30% Zep at most) could be hysterical.

Without a doubt. I can see it now: The band in August 1968 selling their souls to the devil (played by Gilbert Gottfried of course); Percy strutting along like some stuck up poof, throwing shade to everyone; Jimmy dressed in some ridiculous wizard outfit chasing after teenage girls while snorting smack off their tits with Cole supervising; then Bonham coming around here and there beating the living crap out of everyone then breaking down in tears afterward. Oh and Jones...he would be out parking the car during the whole movie while Peter Grant is ripping promotors limb from limb and then joining Jimmy & Richard to snort lines of a 16 year olds ass.

It would make Spinal Tap look like a Ken Burn's documentary.

[Mithril46]

Yup, only slight exaggeration would be needed in parts. Only a few know, for example, that one of Jimmy's neighbors

saw him running laps around his sizeable estate, and JIMMY saw him observing this. After the workout, Jimmy went to

the neighbor and said, " Please keep quiet about this, my image would be ruined". This basically took place in 80',

when Jimmy was a walking skeleton, and tales were told of Jimmy barely able to walk a straight line, needing help

getting up from a chair, etc. I mean you can't make this up, both extremes probably happend. Same with 77', Jimmy

doing all the stage moves, that is a workout and pills alone will not erase the muscle soreness and the next day or two

your muscles will stiffen up if there is no yoga or stretching exercises. Again hilarious opposites, contradictions galore.

And the Swan Song offices ?? Posh, ritzy ? No, no.More like a nondescript Mafia front, which in ways it was. Wait 20

yrs, all are gone, MAYBE a movie with much humor, not just the "darkness".

[BledZabbath]

They were suppose to make a movie about Sabbath awhile back that never came to fruition.

[Mithril46]

Well off topic, but as actual humans would be cast in the Zep roles, a combination of human and fearsome creature would be

needed to play Ozzie. So that's that, and of course the movie wouldn't mention that many of Ozzie's lyrics tell of what

happens when you break God's laws. It is still astonishing how many people think Black Sabbath were Satan worshippers.

[BledZabbath]

1 hour ago, Mithril46 said:

Well off topic, but as actual humans would be cast in the Zep roles, a combination of human and fearsome creature would be

needed to play Ozzie. So that's that, and of course the movie wouldn't mention that many of Ozzie's lyrics tell of what

happens when you break God's laws. It is still astonishing how many people think Black Sabbath were Satan worshippers.

Ozzy is da man, Ozzy, Ozzy, Ozzy!!!!!!

[IpMan]

Seriously though, if a movie were to be made, the best idea (suggested by an earlier poster) would be to pick a singular point in the bands career. My suggestion would be either 1969, Zeppelin up and coming, everything new and exciting. Another would be 1980, the lead up to the European Tour, the tour, and ending with the last rehearsal on Sep 24th with a shot of Bonham being put to bed that fateful night.

The juxtaposition of the two combined into one would be a nice idea as well. The whole birth-rebirth-oblivion arch would be very interesting.

Then again, who plays who? James Gandolfini would have been the perfect Grant but he is gone. Though I know exactly who I would want to play Bonzo...Tom Hardy. His acting in both Bronson & Legend were fantastic. I think Bradly Cooper would make a fine Richard Cole.

[Mithril46]

Yeah, that's a much more achieveable goal than taking the band' s entire history.. Although the bleak section leading up to

Bonzo's death, not sure if the true story before his death would be that interesting. I think a movie centered around 77' 

would be very interesting, total madness, and then Karac's death, and at the end of the movie...."And the Song Would Never

Be the Same Again" cut to Plant sitting on a countryside porch, head in his hands. Ha Ha. Trying to be dramatic.

[likecats]

On 8/1/2017 at 6:27 AM, 76229 said:

I'm sure the presence of Jagger on the Executive Producer's list is a coincidence, in a show that had an entire episode making Zep look gormless. "don't talk to me I'm just the singer" is an insult to Plant, implying he had no interest in the band's direction. Terrible show

If I recall, the Plant character's line was something like "What do I know, I'm just the singer" but I thought it sounded sarcastic, as if his real meaning was: I'm not stupid so don't waste my time with bullshit.

To me, he didn't seem clueless at all.

Anyway, I know there isn't much point in me dissecting a small bit of a dead show but I just had a different perspective on that particular scene.

 

[Walter]

On 8/3/2017 at 2:51 PM, Mithril46 said:

So that's that, and of course the movie wouldn't mention that many of Ozzie's lyrics tell of what

happens when you break God's laws. It is still astonishing how many people think Black Sabbath were Satan worshippers.

Didnt Geezer Butler write the lyrics?