News
October 23, 2014
Ethan Hawke To Play Chet Baker In Trumpeter Biopic ‘Born To Be Blue’
Shooting has begun in Ontario on Chet Baker biopic Born To Be Blue with Ethan Hawke as the legendary jazz trumpeter. Written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Robert Budreau, the drama is inspired by Baker’s rise, fall and eventual resurgence. The story will chart his comeback in the late 1970s and the tumultuous love affair that changed the way he played music and helped him on the road to redemption after his self-destructive ways had seemingly destroyed his career.
Also starring with Hawke are Carmen Ejogo (The Purge: Anarchy, Selma) and Callum Keith Rennie (Fifty Shades Of Grey). Hawke has worked closely this year with the filmmakers to develop the project. Budreau has a history of music-related work including the short Dream Recording with jazz pianist David Braid, and a short about Baker’s ultimate demise, The Deaths Of Chet Baker. He’s repped by Brooke Ehrlich Artist Management.
Hawke is coming off of a busy year with awards season contender Boyhood; documentary Seymour: An Introduction, which he produced and directed; Michael and Peter Spierig’s Predestination; Andrew Niccol’s Good Kill; and Shakespeare update Cymbeline. The latter two both premiered in Venice. He’s repped by CAA, The Schiff Company and attorney George Sheanshang. Ejogo is playing Coretta Scott King in next year’s Selma and is repped by ICM and Authentic. Along with Fifty Shades Of Grey, Rennie has Warcraft on deck. He’s repped by APA.
Born To Be Blue producers are Jennifer Jonas and Leonard Farlinger of New Real Films, Budreau on behalf of his Lumanity Productions and Jake Seal of Black Hangar Studios. K5 International is handling foreign sales and will introduce the film to buyers at the AFM in November. Entertainment One has Canadian distribution rights.