Nirvanais one of the most important bands of the turn of the 20th century, not only because of the mythology of its band members, but because of their influence on rock, grunge, and music in general afterward, and yet there’s never been a true biopic about the band.Music biopics are the coin of the Hollywoodrealm and every time one is released, it always seems to be a hit, critically and financially. Unsurprisingly, filling a movie with hit songs sung by superstars is an easy recipe for success.
When exactly to release a music biopic can be a tricky proposition though. Bands and singers deserving of a biopic are often still alive and even performing, making the creative process that much more challenging.For a band like Nirvana, who is synonymous with 90s rock and the grunge movement,there will always be several hoops to jump through, from Courtney Love’s entanglement to David Grohl’s busy schedule to all the normal struggles a biopic has with production. There’s never been a true Nirvana biopic, and it’s a bit understandable why.
A Workable Nirvana Biopic Would Require Courtney Love’s And The Band’s Approval
A Biopic Won’t Be Successful Without The Band’s Music
A Nirvana biopic would need approval from the two living members of the band, Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic (and maybe Chad Channing if the entire story is to be told), and Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain’s widowed wife and the mother of his child, who is also the executor of his estate, for now (viaTrustCounsel). While a biopic does not need the subject’s approval to be made,if a movie wants to use the music and have access to parts of the story only the band would know, filmmakers need to play ball.
Courtney Love Praises Succession Season 3’s Use of Nirvana Song
Courtney Love, the widow of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, praised how the latest episode of Succession season 3 used the band’s most infamous song.
This is particularly difficult for Nirvana considering the long and complicated relationship between Dave Grohl and Courtney Love (viaFarOutMagazine). A Nirvana biopic would need to go to some dark places, considering how important Kurt Cobain’s mental health struggles and death are to the band’s legacy, and it’s unlikely the band, Love, and her daughter Frances Bean Cobain, would all agree on the exact way to depict his death.
For a Nirvana biopic where all the parties have different ideas about how the movie should go, it could prove a difficult and long production with no guarantee of it ever being completed.
Bohemian Rhapsodywas highly mythologized, and that was with Queen all being on the same page. For a Nirvana biopic where all the parties have different ideas about how the movie should go, it could prove a difficult and long production with no guarantee of it ever being completed.
Love Claimed She Was Fired From Fight Club For Denying Pitt
Just because there hasn’t been a Nirvana biopic doesn’t mean the idea hasn’t been formulating in Hollywood for years.Brad Pitt, whose producing creditshave only expanded since Nirvana was selling out shows, has allegedly approached Courtney Love twice about making a biopic and was both times rejected. According to Love, Pitt approached her about doing a Nirvana biopic shortly before production forFight Clubbegan (viaVariety). When Love rejected the idea,Love claimed she was fired from the film, and replaced with Helena Bonham Carter.
Brad Pitt stars inFight Clubalongside Edward Norton, who was dating Love in 1999 when the film was released.
However, a source close to the film confirmed toVarietythat while Love did audition for the role of Marla Singer, she was never offered the part,
“You cannot be fired for a job you didn’t get. It’s common knowledge that roles are not decided by other actors but by the director.”
Love went on to claim that Pitt approached her again in 2020but that she felt ignored during their meeting and, therefore, she rejected the idea. With Love as the gatekeeper for a Nirvana biopic, even that first step for approval is a tricky barrier for entry of anyone looking to tell the Nirvana story.
Gus Van Sant’s Last Days Was Not A True Nirvana Biopic
Last Days Is An Experimental Look At The Rock Star Lifestyle
While there’s never been a Nirvana biopic, Gus Van Sant’sLast Daysgets close to it. The film is a fictionalized retelling of the last days of a musician’s life, clearly based on Kurt Cobain, though named “Blake” (Michael Pitt) in the film.While it’s never directly stated that Kurt Cobain is the inspiration for Blake, the parallels are obvious (viaLAMag). Though even if it was officially based on Cobain,Last Dayswould not serve as a good Nirvana biopic considering it only shows the last few days of the singer’s life.
Injections of religious imagery and psychedelic scenes also border on tacky at times.
In terms of quality as a movie just on its own merits,Last Daysis still somewhat lacking. Van Sant’s experimental style is an effective way to get inside the head of a massive rock star who is slowly collapsing in on himself, but it can make the thrust of the story difficult to understand. Injections of religious imagery and psychedelic scenes also border on tacky at times. Some musicalbiopics like Olive Stone’sThe Doorseffectively combine reality and experimental filmmaking, but the mixture does not work quite as well inLast Days.
Nirvana And Kurt Cobain Documentaries
There Have Been Numerous Documentaries About The Band
There have been many Nirvana documentaries over the years that fans can turn to, even if there’s no biopic to watch. Not every documentary is strictly about Nirvana or Kurt Cobain, butif there’s a music documentary about rock, grunge, or the late 90s, it’s almost a guarantee the words “Nirvana” or “Kurt Cobain” are going to be said at least once. There’s a long list of Nirvana documentaries, many focused on Kurt Cobain rather than Nirvana, but there are still many that touch on the band as much as the frontman.
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2021
Kurt Cobain: Moments That Shook Music
2024
Some of these documentaries focus on one specific show, some on the last months and days of Cobain’s life, many on the relationship between Cobain and Love, and some that attempt to cover the extent of Nirvana’s influence on culture and music. It’s a tall task no matter the scope, butClassic Albums: Nirvana-Nevermindgives the best 10,000-foot view of the bandand is an excellent place to start for people new to Nirvana and even for those whose only relationship with them is via their music.
It’s Too Soon For A Nirvana Biopic
No One Knows The Real Legacy Of Nirvana Yet
The fact of the matter is that it’s probably too soon to have a Nirvana biopic. Were it not for Cobain’s death, it’s possible the band would still be touring. Radiohead, Green Day, Blink-182, and Third Eye Blind all formed around roughly the same time and are still drawing massive audiences to shows. Dave Grohl is still actively making music with Foo Fighters and seems to be right in the middle of his career. Krist Novoselic is also still making music.
No one has really had any time to reflect on Nirvana or Kurt Cobain in a real way. It’s not some old band that people would be surprised to learn influenced their current favorite rockstars, Nirvana’s sound is as modern as anyone’s. For a music biopic to be effective, there needs to be some sort of understanding of what the band accomplished and what they actually did. That’s impossible to know after only two decades. There should be no rush for aNirvanabiopic, not while those closest are still arguing about their legacy.
Last Days
Cast
Last Days, released in 2005, explores the life and struggles of a reclusive rock musician, inspired by Kurt Cobain. The film delves into his descent into isolation, with friends and family orbiting around his crumbling world, seeking financial help and favors during his final hours.
