According to this week's Rolling Stone, Eddie Vedder will appear in an upcoming fake biopic, Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story. He'll appear as himself, presenting a lifetime achievement award to the main character, Dewey Cox.

Ed's quote from the award presentation: "I don't know what God sounds like, but I know when I get to the Pearly Gates, He might just sound a little bit like Dewey Cox."

The movie's co-writer Judd Apatow is also quoted in the article: "We wrote this really bombastic, over-the-top speech, and Eddie Vedder was hysterical reading it. He nailed it on the first take."

The movie is due in theaters December 14th.

THE NEXT 'SPINAL TAP'?
Exclusive: a first look at Walk Hard, Judd Apatow's fake biopic...

Like Ray Charles and Johnny Cash, the legendary singer Dewey Cox had to overcome a troubled childhood on his way to fame: In his case, he accidentally chopped his more talented older brother in half with a machete. Later, he struggled with drug addiction and marital discord while achieving one of rock's most varied careers, moving from Roy Orbison-esque balladry to folkie protest, acid rock and even disco.

"I don't know what God sounds like," Eddie Vedder said this year as he presented Cox with a lifetime achievement award. "But I know when I get to the Pearly Gates, he might just sound a little bit like Dewey Cox."

Actually, Cox looks and sounds like John C. Reilly, who stars in the comedy Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story, due in theaters December 14th. Cox was created by director Jake Kasdan, who co-wrote the film with his friend, Knocked Up director Judd Apatow, after a sudden revelation: Whether it's Ray, La Bamba or The Buddy Holly Story, all movies about musicians are essentially the same. "I just had this idea to do a fake biopic - or a real biopic about a fake person - and follow a musician's career trajectory," says Kasdan, who worked with Apatow on the cult-favorite show Freaks and Geeks. And Talladega Nights star Reilly - who sings, plays guitar and has the acting chops to carry a real biopic - was an obvious choice for the lead role.

"We took cliches of movie biopics and just had fun with them," says the actor, who will likely go on tour as his character to coincide with the film's release. Early on, a young Cox learns to play music from a crusty old bluesman who tells him, "Ain't no six-year-old boy know nothing about the blues." He gets his record deal after he wins over a skeptical talent scout with an in-studio improv: "Just follow me," he tells his band. And he ends up leaving his wife and ever-increasing brood of children for a fellow singer, play by Jenna Fischer, best known as Pam on NBC's The Office.

Cox moves with improbable ease through decades of musical styles. "The truth is, no person who was a contemporary of Johnny Cash really made it all the way through," says Reilly. "Elvis made it to the Seventies, but he never did an acid album." Along the way, there's plenty of room for cameos: Jack White has a small but important role as Elvis Presley, Jack Black is an unlikely Paul McCartney, and Paul Rudd plays John Lennon. Vedder apears as himself, as do Jewel, Jackson Browne, and Ghostface Killah - who perform a Cox tribute together at an awards ceremony. "We wrote this really bombastic, over-the-top speech, and Eddie Vedder was hysterical reading it," says Apatow. "He nailed it on the first take."

Singer-songwriter Dan Bern and Candy Butchers frontman Mike Viola wrote most of the film's many songs, which range from the protest anthems "There's a Change a Happenin' " and "Mulatto" to the Johnny Cash-esque "Hole in My Pants." (Marshall-Crenshaw wrote the title tune and Van Dyke Parks was enlisted for one of Cox's psychedelic jams.) "It was almost like a Manhattan Project for songwriters," says Bern. "It was the most fun thing I've ever done."

- By Brian Hiatt

--Trailer


Review of Eddie's Performance

http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2007/08 ... -walk.html

Haha, that's funny. At least Ed is parodying himself for inducting so many acts in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with long, lingering, sometimes nonsensical speeches. Now something like this, I can really get behind. I hope it ends up being true, because I'll give Ed a lot more credit for how he portrays himself in the music world and in the media.

Oh, and I love the "Pearly" Gates reference to PJ. Good stuff.

This movie looks good. Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Jason Schwartzman, and Justin Long play the Beatles while Jack White is Elvis.

haha, that sounds ace.

I also think it's cool that Ed's comfortable with pardoying himself, it'll be good to show people he has a little bit of a sense of humour as opposed to the mumbling whinger some people think he is. I always was a little sad that PJ never agreed to being in The Simpsons, so this kind of makes up for it

I'll be looking forward to seeing this.

Once this comes out I'm sure I will have people tell me I would like it "because Eddie Vedder is in it" .

THE NEXT 'SPINAL TAP'?
Exclusive: a first look at Walk Hard, Judd Apatow's fake biopic...

Like Ray Charles and Johnny Cash, the legendary singer Dewey Cox had to overcome a troubled childhood on his way to fame: In his case, he accidentally chopped his more talented older brother in half with a machete. Later, he struggled with drug addiction and marital discord while achieving one of rock's most varied careers, moving from Roy Orbison-esque balladry to folkie protest, acid rock and even disco.

"I don't know what God sounds like," Eddie Vedder said this year as he presented Cox with a lifetime achievement award. "But I know when I get to the Pearly Gates, he might just sound a little bit like Dewey Cox."

Actually, Cox looks and sounds like John C. Reilly, who stars in the comedy Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story, due in theaters December 14th. Cox was created by director Jake Kasdan, who co-wrote the film with his friend, Knocked Up director Judd Apatow, after a sudden revelation: Whether it's Ray, La Bamba or The Buddy Holly Story, all movies about musicians are essentially the same. "I just had this idea to do a fake biopic - or a real biopic about a fake person - and follow a musician's career trajectory," says Kasdan, who worked with Apatow on the cult-favorite show Freaks and Geeks. And Talladega Nights star Reilly - who sings, plays guitar and has the acting chops to carry a real biopic - was an obvious choice for the lead role.

"We took cliches of movie biopics and just had fun with them," says the actor, who will likely go on tour as his character to coincide with the film's release. Early on, a young Cox learns to play music from a crusty old bluesman who tells him, "Ain't no six-year-old boy know nothing about the blues." He gets his record deal after he wins over a skeptical talent scout with an in-studio improv: "Just follow me," he tells his band. And he ends up leaving his wife and ever-increasing brood of children for a fellow singer, play by Jenna Fischer, best known as Pam on NBC's The Office.

Cox moves with improbable ease through decades of musical styles. "The truth is, no person who was a contemporary of Johnny Cash really made it all the way through," says Reilly. "Elvis made it to the Seventies, but he never did an acid album." Along the way, there's plenty of room for cameos: Jack White has a small but important role as Elvis Presley, Jack Black is an unlikely Paul McCartney, and Paul Rudd plays John Lennon. Vedder apears as himself, as do Jewel, Jackson Browne, and Ghostface Killah - who perform a Cox tribute together at an awards ceremony. "We wrote this really bombastic, over-the-top speech, and Eddie Vedder was hysterical reading it," says Apatow. "He nailed it on the first take."

Singer-songwriter Dan Bern and Candy Butchers frontman Mike Viola wrote most of the film's many songs, which range from the protest anthems "There's a Change a Happenin' " and "Mulatto" to the Johnny Cash-esque "Hole in My Pants." (Marshall-Crenshaw wrote the title tune and Van Dyke Parks was enlisted for one of Cox's psychedelic jams.) "It was almost like a Manhattan Project for songwriters," says Bern. "It was the most fun thing I've ever done."

- By Brian Hiatt

this sounds hilarious

this should be very funny

Dan Bern? Does stip know about this?

A project involving Eddie Vedder and Judd Apatow can't go wrong. Awesome news.

It's SOUNDS good, but whenever you do one of these, you're facing off with the classics: "This is Spinal Tap" and the old English 'Comic Strip' double header "Bad News". It will probably be good, but I gots my doubts it'll top the Tap

Randall

nope. Holy shit! Bern's funny songs are amazing. He was a good choice to tap for this

I won't be expecting the next Spinal Tap walking into this but Judd Apatow has yet to steer me worng (that I can think of) so I'm looking forward to checking this out. Good thing they didn't let Eddie write his own speech. He would have been one third of the movie.

here's an update:

http://theplaylist.blogspot.com/2007/08 ... -walk.html

and what a nice pic of old-style Ed too

Holy Hannah!!

The Walk Hard trailer:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/180983358 ... ardformat/