I WANT MY MTV Is Being Adapted into a Feature Film by James Ponsoldt
A24 has secured the rights to the book I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution, and they’ve set James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now, The End of the Tour) as the director.
The book was written by Rob Tannenbaum and Craig Marks, and it was published in 2011. It takes the readers through a the birth and rise of the popular cable channel. I use to watch MTV all of the time in the early '90s. It was the golden age of MTV. I thought the music videos they made were so cool, and of course, the girls in the music videos were sexy as hell. MTV has since changed, and now I just see it as a joke. I haven’t watched MTV in years.
The story in the book is, for the most part, told through interviews and anecdotes from MTV’s creators and the musical artists whose videos appeared on it. Here is an official synopsis for the book:
Remember the first time you saw Michael Jackson dance with zombies in “Thriller”? Diamond Dave karate kick with Van Halen in “Jump”? Tawny Kitaen turning cartwheels on a Jaguar to Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again”? The Beastie Boys spray beer in “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)”? Axl Rose step off the bus in “Welcome to the Jungle”? Remember When All You Wanted Was Your MTV? It was a pretty radical idea-a channel for teenagers, showing nothing but music videos. It was such a radical idea that almost no one thought it would actually succeed, much less become a force in the worlds of music, television, film, fashion, sports, and even politics. But it did work. MTV became more than anyone had ever imagined. I Want My MTV tells the story of the first decade of MTV, the golden era when MTV’s programming was all videos, all the time, and kids watched religiously to see their favorite bands, learn about new music, and have something to talk about at parties. From its start in 1981 with a small cache of videos by mostly unknown British new wave acts to the launch of the reality-television craze with The Real World in 1992, MTV grew into a tastemaker, a career maker, and a mammoth business. Featuring interviews with nearly four hundred artists, directors, VJs, and television and music executives, I Want My MTV is a testament to the channel that changed popular culture forever.
Brett Ratner was originally attached to direct the project, but thankfully that’s not happening. Ponsoldt is a much better filmmaker. Here is some additional information from the press release we were sent:
“I Want MY MTV” chronicles the founding and first 10 years of the network, a golden era in both music and television where MTV became the emblem of a new generation. The network was a radical idea that no one thought would succeed; but what started as a channel showcasing videos from obscure British bands soon transformed into a cultural sensation that tapped directly into the imagination and spirit of contemporary teenagers. The same passionate, reckless young group that built the company ushered it into a global phenomenon that deeply influenced everything from movies, music, and television to fashion, sports, and politics.
The film will be a fun, immersive look at the network’s rise, and will weave the book’s testimonials into a thrilling and celebratory account of this one-of-a-kind cultural moment.
About the project, A24 said “We’re so thrilled to be collaborating again with James Ponsoldt to bring this terrific book to the screen. With James on board, we know he’ll bring out all the passion, ingenuity, humor, and humanity that led to MTV becoming perhaps the most powerful influence on pop culture of all time.”
Filmmaker James Ponsoldt says, “As a child of the 1980’s, MTV had a massive impact on me, and I’m so excited to again be working with my friends at A24 in exploring the storied early years of the groundbreaking channel.”
I’ll be looking forward to this!