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Joy Division Singer's Story On Screen

By Garth Franklin Wednesday January 12th 2005 11:06PM

After several false starts, the planned biopic of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis will finally roll before cameras later in the year reports Time Out. Anthony Wilson, former head of the band's label Factory Records, revealed that the film is tentatively titled "Control", and will be based on 'Touching From A Distance', the book Deborah Curtis wrote about her husband's life. Though many efforts have been made to bring his story to the big screen through the years, 'Control' marks the first time his family have lent their support to a project. Wilson himself will executive produce the movie, while rock photographer Anton Corbijn - who has worked with everyone from U2 to Depeche Mode to Joy Division themselves - will direct. Ian Curtis was the lead singer of Joy Division before his suicide in 1980, shortly before the band was due to embark to a tour of America. The year before the band had begun to achieve good success, just as Curtis' health took a turn for the worse. An epileptic, he frequently had fits whilst on stage and was found hanged in his home in May 1980. The rest of the band went on to form the highly successful 'New Order'. No word yet on who'll play the singer, but casting takes place in March and some 'very established screen actors' have been approached for the role. Thanks to 'James'

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