The Irish comedy I Was Bono’s Doppelganger has sorted out all its financing issues and it’s been announced that it’ll be heading into production with Ben Barnes, of Prince Caspian and Dorian Gray fame, in the lead role. He’ll be joining Robert Sheean as hapless brothers Neil and Ivan McCormick.
Set in the late 70s, the McCormicks set up a band in Dublin at the same time as their classmates do. The problem for the brothers it that while their musical adventures aren’t particularly successful, their rivals go on to become U2. It’s a neat little premise for a film, and shows even more promise with the fact it’s been written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Of course, they have experience of turning the Irish musical scene into a hit as the writers of The Commitments.
In case you’re wondering whether Barnes can sing, he was actually briefly part of a boyband called Hyrise, who made a bid to represent the UK at the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest!
Filming is due to begin on I Was Bono’s Doppelganger in January, in Northern Ireland, Dublin and London.