Damien Chazelle’s latest feature is currently the talk of Tinseltown, but could the next La La Land already be on the way? Deadline is reporting that Max Minghella is set to direct his first film, titled Teen Spirit, about an Eastern European teenager who enters an international singing competition.
Minghella, who has starred in The Ides of March and The Social Network, is the son of the late Anthony Minghella, the director of The English Patient and The Talented Mr Ripley, which bodes well for this exciting next stage in his career.
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Written by Minghella in collaboration with the actor Jamie Bell, Teen Spirit is being produced by Fred Berger, whose most recent screen credit is – you guessed it – La La Land. Apparently eager to recreate this winning formula, Berger has enlisted the serves of the musical team behind Chazelle’s smash hit, including music producer Marius DeVries who previously worked on Moulin Rouge.
Teen Spirit is being billed “a stylish spin on the Cinderella story”, as an unassuming girl, Violet, sets out on road to pop-stardom in the hope that she can leave her difficult home life behind her. While performing at a global singing competition, she realises that raw talent isn’t the only thing needed to succeed in this cruel, cutthroat world.
There are no actors attached to the project as of yet, and no release date has been confirmed. It’s also unclear whether either Minghella or Bell will feature. We’ve seen this kind of coming-of-age story told so many times before, but if Minghella can bring a touch of charming and originality, not to mention some catchy new songs, then Teen Spirit could well be another big hit.
Would you like to see more musicals like this on the back of La La Land’s success? Let us know @LWLies
