Christian Bale wants to play Sean Ryder in a biopic
From ravaging a studio’s equipment to fund a sudden cocaine addiction on a Caribbean Island to various encounters with UFOs, there is plenty for Christian Bale to get his teeth into if he gets his wish of playing Shaun Ryder in a biopic. I, for one, would be straight down the box office.
The former Batman actor is no stranger to comedy having once declared the fantastically funny Chris Farley film, Beverley Hills Ninja, as his favourite of all time. He’d have to channel some of that same absurdity to capture the life of the pioneering Happy Mondays frontman.
In a recent NME interview, Bale revealed his desire to play the mad Britpop progenitor. “He was always such an interesting figure,” Bale said. “I grew up loving the Happy Mondays, so yeah, it’d be a lot of fun to play.”
However, he may have to play him in his later years with Jack O’Connell already signed up to play him in a new Matt Greenhalgh-directed biopic. As Bale accepted, “I’m probably too old no if they’re doing it in his heyday.”
The planned feature is based on Ryder’s biography which comes with the most comical index in history complete with references like, “Sunburnt in Valencia”, “UFOs seen”, “Splitting up with Felicia” and my personal favourite, “Rent boy story in News of the World”.
In the past, Greenhalgh has taken more a serious approach with his biopics penning both Nowhere Boy and Control, however, you’d have to say that to give Ryder’s life a fair hearing you’d have to brim it full of laughs. Here’s hoping it delivers.
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