By Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway
LOS ANGELES, Aug 11 (Reuters) – Green Day, the punk rock band that rose to global fame, are turning to filmmaking with “Nimrods,” a coming-of-age comedy inspired in part by their early years as musicians.
Written and directed by Lee Kirk, the film follows three teenagers pursuing their dreams of making it in music, a journey the band says mirrors aspects of its own rise.
“The first dream we ever had was to play a gig and we finally got a chance to play a gig,” lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong said.
Armstrong said Green Day’s ambitions grew alongside its success, progressing from landing gigs to filling stadiums and, ultimately, making a movie.
In the film, Tommy, played by Mason Thames, dreams of opening for Green Day after handing the band a demo tape at a meet-and-greet.
After his brother Wayne convinces him that Green Day has invited his band to open a New Year’s Eve show, Tommy and his bandmates, Fred, played by Kyle Coffman, and Chad, portrayed by Ryan Foust, embark on a cross-country trip from Kansas to Los Angeles determined to make it happen.
Band members said the road-trip storyline draws on experiences from Green Day’s early touring years.
“You never know when you’re living those moments in your life and you’re doing cool stuff, you don’t realize in that moment that this is going to be a bitching scene in a movie some day,” drummer Tre Cool said.
Bassist Mike Dirnt said the film aims to capture the band’s youthful outlook and rock-and-roll spirit.
“We had nothing to lose and we wanted to go out and take over the world. If that meant playing for six people, that’s great, if it lands at 68,000 later on, that’s still great. But I just think the spirit is there, the spirit of rock and roll really,” he said.
Armstrong said the comedy was influenced by films such as “Rushmore” and the work of director John Hughes.
“I’ve always had a part teenage brain, part teenage heart or whatever. So, those are some of my favorite movies, so we definitely used that as an influence,” the “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” singer said.
While Green Day plays a key role in the story, the band largely remains off screen, with its music instead featured prominently throughout the soundtrack.
“You don’t have to be a Green Day fan to love this movie. You can just love this movie and you’ll probably end up liking Green Day after, I hope,” Cool said.
“Nimrods,” produced by Live Nation Studios, opens in U.S. theaters on August 14.
Green Day rose to mainstream success with its 1994 album “Dookie” and is known for hits including “Basket Case,” “Good Riddance” and “American Idiot.” The band has won four Grammy Awards and inspired a Broadway musical with “American Idiot.”
(Reporting by Rollo Ross and Danielle Broadway; Editing by Mark Porter)
