TOM AND KATIE ROCK OUT WITH BILLIE JOE

04-13 - TOM AND KATIE ROCK OUT WITH BILLIE JOE

As Tom Cruise readies to tap into his inner rock star as Stacee Jaxx in the upcoming film adapatation of Rock of Ages, the Oscar nominee decided to check out another rocking Broadway show. On April 12, Cruise and his wife, Broadway veteran Katie Holmes, headed to the St. James Theatre to catch American Idiot. After the show the duo ventured backstage to chat with Green Day frontman and Idiot star Billie Joe Armstrong (who surely had a few pointers for Cruise on how to be a rock star) and took time to pose with everyone in the cast. Take a look at Cruise and Holmes' Broadway visit: HERE.

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04-13 - AMERICAN IDIOT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "American Idiot," the Broadway musical based on Green Day's acclaimed album of the same name, is getting another life on the big screen.

Universal is in negotiations to pick up the screen rights and has hired Michael Mayer, the director of the stage production, to shoot the movie version.

Dustin Lance Black, the Oscar-winning writer of "Milk," is in discussions to write the screenplay. Tom Hanks will serve as a producer, along with the members of the punk rock trio.

A concept album tackling the ideas of love vs. rage, "American Idiot" follows three characters: the aimless Jesus of Suburbia, punk rock freedom fighter St. Jimmy, and Whatsername. It was released in 2004 and quickly became one of the band's biggest albums. It also spawned Grammy Awards, as did the Broadway version.

Hanks and business partner Gary Goetzman were producers on the mega-smash "Mamma Mia!," the adaptation of the musical based on the ABBA songs. Universal was behind that musical, which got it on the hunt for other musical projects.

[Full article at Reuters]