Kenneth Branagh has been tapped to direct the upcoming Bee Gees biopic for Paramount Pictures.
The movie will center on the life and times of the genre-spanning band, following the humble beginnings of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb into their journey to pop superstardom. Following their first No. 1 hit “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” the Bee Gees went on to write and perform hundreds of popular songs and worked on the soundtrack for the 1977 film “Saturday Night Fever.”
Ben Elton is writing the script for the still-untitled biopic.
The band was the subject of a recent HBO documentary titled “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” which was directed by Frank Marshall. Barry Gibb, the only surviving member of the band, was interviewed for the doc; Maurice died in 2003 and Robin in 2012.
Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is producing the film with “Bohemian Rhapsody” producer Graham King via GK Films and the production company Sister. Barry Gibb will serve as executive producer.
Branagh has several movies in the works, including British drama “Belfast” and “Death on the Nile,” the sequel to his 2017 whodunit “Murder on the Orient Express.” His recent credits include “Artemis Fowl,” 2015’s “Cinderella” featuring Lily James and Marvel’s “Thor” with Chris Hemsworth.
Branagh has received five Oscar nominations, including best director and actor for “Henry V,” adapted screenplay for “Hamlet” and supporting actor for “My Week With Marilyn.” He won an Emmy for lead actor in a TV movie for “Conspiracy” and landed nods for “Shackleton,” “Warm Springs” and “Wallander.”
