©Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Sony Pictures and Mucho Mas Media are working together to develop a remake of the musical film, La Bamba. Like its 1987 Golden Globe-nominated predecessor, the upcoming remake will be based on the life of the rock and roll legend Ritchie Valens, Variety is reporting.
Luis Valdez, the writer and director of the original movie, is on board as an executive producer for the remake. Oscar-nominated writer José Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries, On the Road) is attached to pen the script.
Lou Diamond Phillips portrayed Valens in the original Columbia Pictures film. La Bamba depicts the 17-year-old Mexican-American’s rise to fame, from field laborer to rock star. Along the way, he had a string of hit singles and a date with destiny.
The drama is fueled by Valens’ hit songs performed by the Grammy-winning Los Lobos. The original feature also imcludes classic ’50s tunes, including the titular track.
The movie recreates the thrilling early days of rock. It also pays homage to the enduring legacy of a remarkable talent whose music crossed all borders.
The original La Bamba was nominated for a Golden Globe for best drama and for song of the year at the 1988 Grammys. In 2017, it was added to the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress, which recognizes films for their cultural, historic and/or aesthetic importance..
Valens is considered an icon of rock and roll, known worldwide for his hit songs Donna, We Belong Together and the eponymous tune. His meteoric ascent was cut short when he died at age 17 in a plane crash alongside Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.
“Together with the rock and roll classics of Ritchie Valens, my 1987 biopic La Bamba has graciously withstood the test of time. And yet, the tragically short life and career of Richard Valenzuela continues to inspire new generations of fans the world over,” Valdez said. “As new biographical details have come to light, a new cinematic look at his eternally young seventeen years on earth can only add to his undying legend.”
Javier Chapa will produce the remake for Mucho Mas Media. Meanwhile, Sherrese Clarke Soares, Phillip Braun, Robert Muñoz, Simon Wise, Vincent Cordero and Bruce Barshop will executive produce. Sony Music Mexico will serve as a creative partner on the music for the film.
“We’re honored and humbled to be retelling Ritche’s story — the story of an incredible young Latino man who inspired so many people through his music and prodigious talent,” said Chapa. “We look to uphold and celebrate the original film in ways Luis Valdez and the filmmakers of ‘La Bamba’ made it a classic.”
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