Kurt Cobain Biopic Snags The Messenger Director

After Gus Van Sant’s fictionalized account within Last Days, and Nick Broomfield’s Courtney-did-it “documentary” Kurt and Courtney, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain is set to get a third cinematic treatment.  The twist?  The film—get this!—aims to be an accurate, true-story portrayal of singer/ guitarist who committed suicide in 1994.

Deadline Hollywood reports that Oren Moverman, director of 2009’s harrowing The Messenger, has been selected to direct the film, which will focus on Cobain’s final two days before his suicide. Moverman will also rewrite the script, originally titled All Apologies and written by X-Men Origins: Wolverine scribe David Benioff.  Let me repeat that: “written by X-Men Origins: Wolverine scribe David Benioff.”

Meaning that while Cobain fans can be assured that none of Van Sant’s surrealistic, this-is-Kurt-but-not-really liberties (to avoid a lawsuit from Courtney Love) will be taken, nor will Broomfield’s speculation that Love hired hit men to rub the Nirvana singer out permeate the film, it may feature Hugh Jackman as drummer Dave Grohl, who then takes a moment during an instrumental break of “Rape Me” to leap at a helicopter, mid-air and screaming.

That said, Moverman is a capable director of dark material, and is a gifted writer; if he can wrench the film—and Cobain’s story—from the morass of rock mythology and biopic cliché, as well as work within the bounds of reality instead of fanboy speculation, Kurt may receive the kind of cinematic tribute worthy of his talent, and the time of his fans.

What do you think?  Are you interested in seeing a film based on Kurt Cobain’s final days?