Rock band Sublime is getting a biopic with surprising talent behind it – Chris Mundy, writer of Ozark, and The Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence. The band was behind some of the most iconic music of the 1990s, growing in popularity in alternative circles for their unique sound. Originating from Southern California, Sublime was comprised of lead singer Bradley Nowell, Bud Gaugh, and Eric Wilson. The trio combined the grit of punk with the energy of ska, along with reggae beats and hip-hop influences, to create their signature sound.
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Sublime, known for the laid-back approach to life gestured at in their music, only rose in popularity after the tragic death of Nowell, who passed away from a heroin overdose just two months before the band's self-titled album was released. A couple of decades later, their legacy endures, with hit staples "What I Got," "Wrong Way," "Santeria," and "Doin' Time" still hitting the airwaves today, and their brand of chill rebellion continuing to inspire modern musicians. Last year, the band's management company Surfdog/DKM even released a Sublime comic book, based on the band's misadventures with Z2 Comics.
Now, Deadline reports that Sony Pictures is developing a biopic based on the band's story. The studio announced that Dave Kaplan of Surfdog/DKM and Peter Paterno of KHPS are the driving forces behind the project, with Sublime members Gaugh and Wilson signed on as executive producers. Troy and Jakob Nowell, the frontman's wife and son, will also be involved as executive producers on behalf of Nowell's estate. Additionally, Ozark scribe Mundy is set to write, and the responsibility of directing will fall on Hunger Games vet Lawrence.
With so many people involved having a personal stake in the production, it's likely that the film will be a fitting tribute to the classic '90s musical group. Mundy and Lawrence's involvement are also promising, with both names enjoying massive commercial success in the last few years. Mundy has earned five Emmy nominations for Ozark, and Lawrence has returned to a beloved franchise, heading up production on highly anticipated prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. The talent behind the camera should reflect in the overall production, though not much is known at this stage about the actual content of the biopic.
Though this may be an unexpected collaboration for Mundy and Lawrence, it's an exciting prospect for Sublime fans everywhere. This biopic will certainly be a unique one, offering a new side to the musical biopic genre by focusing on a different musical scene than the media tends to feature. It would be natural to worry about the biopic tarnishing the idea of Sublime that fans know and love, but with the original band members signing off on the production, it seems certain that this film will bring Sublime's story to a new generation while honoring the past.