Posted in: Movies, News | Tagged: biopic, Chester Bennington, Dean DeLeo, duff mckagan, Eric Kretz, Jeff Gutt, Matt Sorum, Robert DeLeo, Scott Weiland, slash, Stone Temple Pilots, Velvet Revolver

Stone Temple Pilots Late Frontman Scott Weiland Biopic in Works

Scott Weiland, one of the most recognizable voices in grunge, will be getting a biopic. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the former lead singer for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, who died in 2015 at the age of 48, will have his story adapted for the big screen called Paper Heart. The film comes courtesy of Dark Pictures and Orian Williams, who acquired the book rights to "Not Dead & Not for Sale," which was Weiland's memoir written by David Ritz. Jennifer Erwin, a diehard STP fan, who co-founded Dark Pictures with Anne Beagan, will pen the screenplay chronicling Weiland's life from his personal relationships, rise to rock superstardom, and chronic drug addiction that ultimately took his life.

"It's an honor to have the trust to tell Scott's story and the ability to portray the lesser-known sides of him – the loving and tender man he was, the high school athlete he was, the melancholy soul he was, and the legendary frontman that he will always be," Erwin said in a statement. "Scott was glamorous, complicated, and wounded. His childhood had a big effect on his struggles with addiction," Beagan added in her own statement.

Weiland formed Stone Temple Pilots with brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo in 1985. The three recruited drummer Eric Kretz and initially played under the name Mighty Joe Young before deciding on the name Stone Temple Pilots, inspired by the STP acronym of the famous motor oil company. While they garnered major attention from the San Diego club scene, they released their first major album, Core, in 1992 for Atlantic Records, which peaked at No. 3 in the Billboard Album Charts. Their biggest songs from Core in "Plush" and "Creep" peaked at no. 1 and 2, respectively, on the Billboard Mainstream Rock tracks in 1993, with the earlier garnering several awards, including a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. The band's follow-up album Purple made its debut at no. 1 in 1994 with the song "Big Empty," prominently featured in Brandon Lee's final film, The Crow.

STP released three more albums over the course of nine years, with a Weiland and the band producing separate work in that span. When the bank dissolved in 2003, Weiland emerged as the frontman to Velvet Revolver, which comprised of then-former members of Guns N' Roses in Slash, Matt Sorum, and Duff McKagen, producing two albums before their breakup in 2008. STP reformed later that year to go on a tour while working on new material before the band fired Weiland in 2013, moving on to Linkin' Park's Chester Bennington to provide vocals until November 2015, when he amicably departed from the band. Upon Weiland's death, STP released a statement calling him" gifted beyond words." The band has since moved to vocalist Jeff Gutt as of November 2017.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!