Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia gets new biopic

[HMG] – In news that will make every hippie you’ve ever met almost conscious with joy, it’s being reported that the life of the Grateful Dead’s chief guitarist, Jerry Garcia is becoming a movie.

Formed in San Francisco — where else? – in 1965, Jerry served as the band’s chief composer, and also played lead guitar in no less than 2,314 shows before his untimely death on August 9, 1995 from a massive heart attack.

Now, renowned director Amir Bar-Lev ['The Tillman Story'] has signed to direct a fictional biopic on Jerry, to be produced by Albert Berger and Ron Yerxa, who produced “Little Miss Sunshine.”

“Topper Lilien’s daring script does justice to Garcia, and steadfastly resists any cliche,” Amir told Variety.

Widely regarded as one of the most creative guitarists in recent times, Jerry flawlessly combined blues and rock with a seemingly effortless gift for improvisation. But while the Dead have been the focus of numerous movies, this will be the first film to focus on the enigmatic front-man.

Based on Robert Greenfield’s 1996 biography. “Dark Star,” the new film is planned as a fictional retelling of Jerry’s early life before creating the band that secured his place among fans as a musical legend.

There’s no release date or cast news as yet, but we’ll update you as new info arrives…