Broadway's Beetlejuice Star Alex Brightman Will Take on the Role of John Belushi in Upcoming Biopic
Alex Brightman, star of Broadway’s Beetlejuice, has been hired on to star in the biopic that will chronicle the short life of SNL star, comedian, and actor John Belushi. Collider reports that David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, The Morning Show) has come on to direct, while Annaleigh Ashford is being eyed to play Belushi’s girlfriend-turned-wife, Judy Jacklin, and John Mulaney has been offered the role of Dan Aykroyd, though neither have been confirmed yet.
The addition of Mulaney would be so fantastic, as I am a huge fan and think he would be hilarious as Aykroyd. It will be a bittersweet story, as Belushi was an incredible comedian who lost his life too early. But Brightman strikes such a resemblance to the star, I think it will be just like seeing him again, and that’s a wonderful thought.
The report goes on to say that there will be many other celebrity portrayals in the film, including Lorne Michaels, Gilda Radner, SNL writers Al Franken and Tom Davis, journalist Barbara Walters, Jack Nicholson, who directed Belushi in 1978’s western-comedy Goin’ South, and musicians Keith Richards, James Taylor and Paul Simon, who was a neighbor and friend to Belushi, and performed at his funeral.
Are you interested in Belushi? Who do you think would be good matches for these other celebrity roles?