FYI - CONTROL Update - Ian Curtis has been cast

Sam Riley has been cast as lead singer Ian Curtis and Alexandra Maria Lara as his lover Annik on music video director Anton Corbijn’s Control, his fact-based debut feature on UK post-punk band Joy Division.

It is a first big role for newcomer Riley – the troubled Curtis was in his early 20s when he committed suicide in 1980 – whereas Lara played Hitler’s secretary in Downfall and has just finished work on Francis Ford Coppola’s Youth By Youth alongside Bruno Ganz and Tim Roth.

It was already known that Samantha Morton would play Deborah Curtis, who wrote the book on which Matt Greenhalgh’s script is based. Curtis will also get a co-producer credit, as will former Joy Division manager and Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, the subject of the biopic 24 Hour Party People. The producers are Orian Williams and Todd Eckert from Claraflora.

The Control team is still closing finance but hopes to being shooting in mid-2006 in Manchester, Macclesfield and other areas of England.

The film’s title was inspired by the classic Joy Division song She’s Lost Control. New Order, the band that succeeded Joy Division, will be recording new tracks for the film and the soundtrack album will feature a number of re-recorded Joy Division songs.

Corbijn has worked on U2, Depeche Mode, Nirvana and Metallica videos and is also known for his photographs of such musicians as the late Miles Davis, R.E.M., David Bowie and Elvis Costello.

Is that Sam Riley as in the 10,000 Things singer?

Do we have any photo's of him? I hope he does a good job, he's got big boots to fill.

its this fella....i think

...

Missy Jem wrote: ...

eh less of the three fuckin dots

fair play to him, IC is a good part to land.

I wanna be an extra in this film. To the Casting Agent: Let me be in it!!! I live in Manc and everything, and i can wag work for a bit!

Missy Jem wrote: I wanna be an extra in this film. To the Casting Agent: Let me be in it!!! I live in Manc and everything, and i can wag work for a bit!

Missy! You got mail!

If he IS American, he'd better damn well perfect that accent or it will ruin it for me.

Missy Jem wrote: If he IS American, he'd better damn well perfect that accent or it will ruin it for me.

If they're putting yanks in it....there must be big yanks money behind it. Given the American talent for sticking random titles with random plots...I rather suspect we'll be seeing a movie about Ian Curtis the anti terrorist agent ( who plays in a folk band called "fun section")...who falls in love with wassername while he's checking out her invlovement in a plot to take over the world hatched by $ARAB_SCUMBAG

We know it's gonna be given the old Septic treatment whatever. It'll probably be set in the shite end of Noo Yoik or something like that, and he'll probably blow his brains out rather than hanging himself!

Well, if the photo above is accurate, I think he may be able to pull it off--and hopefully he will get a dialogue coach capable of teaching him the proper accent (although, being American, I will defer to those who know on how accurate the accent is). Often it seems that actors from the UK, Australia and NZ manage to pull off American accents quite well, but when American actors try to go the other direction, the results are somewhat lacking. (the worst EVER being Julia Roberts in "Mary Reilly")

As for the influences of American finances, you will be able to identify American influence gone awry if at any point (1) Deborah Curtis and Annik have a western-style shootout in the streets of Macclesfield, or (2) Peter Hook is revealed to be a CIA operative who is infiltrating the Manchester punk scene to uncover a terrorist plot.

I actually think, however, that given the people putting it together, the film may turn out alright.

Matt

Regardless of wether he is american or not (even though i cannot understand why the other guy from 24hr didn't get a look in) i just hope they stay faithful to the book

does anyone know who is to play the others barney , hooky and steve ? or wilson , grettoen or erasmus even ?

oops u know i meant gretton , sorry me just a fick northener

An American? They honestly couldn't find ONE or TWO Brit actor kids in a back alley who are just looking for a break to play Ian?

Well, in any event, I'd kind of hope he at least likes the music. Might be hard to play someone whose music you didn't care for.

Dead Film Walking

;)

According to IMDB he was also in the Granada drama "Tough Love"

Did anyone see it?

I actually think, however, that given the people putting it together, the film may turn out alright.

Right.

I mean, if Ian Curtis' own wife and Tony Wilson, Anton Corbijn couldn't get this film made proper I can't imagine who could. I trust their decisions in making this film.

And I can't friggin' wait to see it!

I love Joy Division but I don't think I'd wanna watch something about Ian's life. It makes me sad, even though he died over 2 and a half decades ago.

who gives a f*ck if he's an american? how many british actors play americans with excellent accents? loads. (although there are some who can't get it right) and the aussie, anthony lapaglia, does a perfect new york accent on without a trace. who's to say this guy can't do a manc accent? if he were irish or scottish would you be as critical? i doubt it.

by the way: sean harris, who played ian curtis in 24HPP, is not a manc and is a dual US/british citizen.

I think you're overreacting. Its understandable that people would prefer an Englishman to play Ian's role. I don't think there's any anti-American sentiment in THIS thread. ;)

Besides its safe to say that whoever was involved in the casting made sure this fella could pull off the Manc accent.