Bee Gees Movie Undergoes Major Change

A movie about the Bee Gees is in the works, and it will be directed by Hustlers filmmaker Lorene Scafaria, a change in the movie’s initial plans. The project was previously set to be directed by John Carney, who directed Once, Begin Again, and Sing Street. Kenneth Branagh was also lined up to direct for Paramount at one point.

Sources told Above the Line on Dec. 8 that Scafaria was stepping in as the new director. The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed the hiring, adding that scheduling conflicts were responsible for Carney’s decision to leave. John Logan (Gladiator, Hugo) wrote the most recent version of the script.

The untitled movie will be produced by GK Films, Amblin, and Sister. Paramount, Amblin, and Sister are co-financing. Paramount is handling worldwide distribution. Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the Bee Gees, is an executive producer on the project.

Scafaria is best known for directing the 2019 hit Hustlers, which she also wrote. She also wrote Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist (2008) and directed Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) and The Meddler (2015). She earned an Emmy nomination for directing the Succession episode “Too Much Birthday.” Scafaria also directed episodes of New Girl.

The Bee Gees was made up of the brothers Barry, Maurice Gibb, and Robin Gibb. Although they were born on the Isle of Man and spent their childhoods in the U.K., their family emigrated to Australia in 1958. The trio found their first taste of fame in 1965 before they moved back to England in 1967. This started their first period of international success, as they scored hits with “New York Mining Disaster 1941,” “To Love Somebody,” “Holiday,” “Massachusetts,” “Words,” “I’ve Got to Get a Message to You,” “I Started a Joke” and many others.

After a decline in popularity at the end of the decade, they broke up briefly. Although they had a handful of notable singles in the early 1970s, particularly “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart,” it was not until they began recording and started their disco period that they found more success. Their contributions to the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack helped make them one of the most popular bands in the world during the disco era. The group continued recording through the late 1990s, but they never reached the level of popularity they had in the late 1970s.

In 2001, the group released their last album and had their last concert as a trio in 2002. Maurice died suddenly in January 2003 at 53, following a heart attack while he needed surgery for a strangulated intestine. Robin died in November 2011 at 61, months after he was diagnosed with liver cancer. The Gibbs’ youngest brother, Andy Gibb, died in March 1988 at 30. As the last surviving brother, Barry has continued to perform. He released his third solo album, Greenfields: The Gibb Brothers Songbook, Vol. 1, a collection of duets, in January 2021.