Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Rock Drama’ Has a Name
Years of patient development have finally paid off for Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese, whose "'70s rock drama" project will bow on HBO in 2016.
Previously titled History of Music, the show is now going by the simpler name Vinyl, and boasts a cast that includes Bobby Cannavale, Olivia Wilde and Ray Romano. According to the official synopsis, the storyline is as follows: "Set in 1970s New York, the series will explore the drug- and sex-fueled music business as punk and disco were breaking out, all through the eyes of a record executive trying to resurrect his label and find the next new sound."
Originally announced in 2011, the series was conceived by Jagger as a film, but opted to make the switch to an hour-long HBO drama after entering a co-production pact with Scorsese. Interestingly, as the HBO deal was being announced, Showtime had plans for a similarly structured series — which was titled Vinyl.
As previously reported, the new show is the latest project Jagger and Scorsese have worked on together; Rolling Stones fans will recall that the famed director helmed the band's 2008 documentary, Shine a Light. It remains to be seen how active a hand either production partner will take in Vinyl, but Scorsese has already directed the pilot episode.
HBO has yet to announce a premiere date, but production is well under way, with Boardwalk Empire vet Terence Winter writing the screenplay for the pilot and acting as showrunner. The show's writing stable also includes George Mastras, who previously worked on all five seasons of Breaking Bad.
See the Rolling Stones and Other Rockers in the Top 100 Albums of the '60s
You Think You Know the Rolling Stones?