Arnel Pineda ‘honored, thrilled’ over possible biopic

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Arnel Pineda ‘honored, thrilled’ over possible biopic

Stephen Lavoie

The planned movie project is set to be directed by Jon M. Chu

MANILA, Philippines – Arnel Pineda, Journey frontman, barely has anything else to prove nowadays. But when news of a planned movie about his life broke, he could barely believe it. 

The planned movie, to be directed by no less than Crazy Rich Asians’ Jon M. Chu, is set to tell the story of Arnel’s struggles before he was discovered on YouTube and auditioned to be the new frontman of the iconic American rock band Journey. 

Speaking to ABS-CBN’s Gretchen Fullido, Arnel said he was set to meet with the movie executives “in a couple of weeks.” While playing coy and refusing to confirm if the project is really pushing through, Arnel said he is “honored and thrilled” over the idea of a Hollywood-produced biopic about his rise to stardom. 

“Gusto kong magbukas pa ng more doors for Asians (I want to open more doors for Asians),” he said in an interview posted online on Tuesday, December 11. 

Chu, of course, is just the director for the job. Crazy Rich Asians, after all, is the first Hollywood movie to feature a primarily Asian-American cast since The Joy Luck Club in the ’90s.

Deadline earlier reported that Warner Bros was already in negotiations to license original Journey music. It had also reportedly obtained the rights to Don’t Stop Believing: Everyman’s Journey, a 2012 documentary about Arnel’s rise to fame.  Marty Bowen is set to produce the movie while a writer is still being selected.

Arnel said the biopic would cover his hardships as a child, his struggle with drugs, his personal demons, and the cycle of rejections and frustrations before he finally found his success as a singer.

“An unlikely hero, an undeniable talent, the power of music, and a worldwide stage (literally) has all the ingredients I love about movies. Plus I have been a fan of Journey’s music since I can remember. I am excited to be bringing the audience along on this incredible story with my partners at Warner Bros who have been a leading champion of diverse voices in front and behind the camera,” said Chu in a statement to Deadline. – Rappler.com

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