Iron Maiden front man's film gets underway. |
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Filming gets underway for 'Chemical Wedding', a movie written by Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson, and inspired by the life of occult figure, Aleister Crowley. SHOWS: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE) (BILL AND BEN PRODUCTIONS - ACCESS ALL) 1. VARIOUS OF PROMO IN THE MAKING DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (FILE - MARCH 9, 2007) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 2. IRON MAIDEN PERFORMING ON STAGE 3. GUITARIST 4. VARIOUS OF FRONTMAN BRUCE DICKINSON SINGING 5. GUITARIST 6. DICKINSON LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 28, 2007) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL) 7. VIEW OF SET LOCATION 8. INSIDE RECITAL HALL 9. STAINED GLASS WINDOWS 10.(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRUCE DICKINSON, IRON MAIDEN FRONT MAN AND SCREENPLAY WRITER, SAYING: "Well, myself and Julian Doyle, the director, we started off our involvement with an Iron Maiden video years ago called 'Can I play with madness?' and Julian used some of his Python chums - Graham Chapman was in that film as well, the last things Graham did before he died sadly. Anyway, we got on and we were chatting about all kinds of other related things to do with films and Julian said 'Why don't we try and do a film involving, sort of, Iron Maiden?' and I said 'Julian, it's not gonna wash, we're not that kind of a band' and then I said ' I tell you what, nobody's every done a film about this guy' meaning Aleister Crowley. We both scratched our noddles and went 'Why on earth not?'" 11. SCENE BEING FILMED ON SET 12. ACTOR SIMON CALLOW 13. VARIOUS OF FILMING OF SCENE 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRUCE DICKINSON, IRON MAIDEN FRONT MAN AND SCREENPLAY WRITER, SAYING: "My experience with stages is obviously Iron Maiden and that sort of stuff but you know, I've directed a few videos over the course of my rock'n'roll past and I enjoyed them. I enjoyed directing videos, writing movies a completely different thing. I wrote a couple of absurd comic novels that came out as well and you know, they did ok actually. So, writing is something that's always sort of interested me, so this seemed like a good opportunity to learn the process really." LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE) (BILL AND BEN PRODUCTIONS - ACCESS ALL) 15. VARIOUS OF FILMING OF SCENE ON SET LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 28, 2007) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL) 16. DICKINSON TALKING 17. (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRUCE DICKINSON, IRON MAIDEN FRONT MAN AND SCREENPLAY WRITER, SAYING: "I think they'll enjoy it, I think they'll enjoy it. On several levels, I think it will be nice for them to see somebody from (Iron) Maiden doing something else that gets that band's name out there and also potentially gets a bit of respect for heavy metal and all the rest of it. But, in addition, I think they'll just enjoy it. It's a rollicking good story." LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE) (BILL AND BEN PRODUCTIONS - ACCESS ALL) 18. VARIOUS OF FILMING OF SCENE ON SET LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (AUGUST 28, 2007) (REUTERS- ACCESS ALL) 19 (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRUCE DICKINSON, IRON MAIDEN FRONT MAN AND SCREENPLAY WRITER, SAYING: "We're gonna put out a big press release statement but I mean it's no secret because I said it at Dollington that we're gonna be appearing in a few big fields in Europe next summer but there's a few more special things than that but, you'll just, sorry, gonna have to keep quiet about that one." LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE) (BILL AND BEN PRODUCTIONS - ACCESS ALL) 20. VARIOUS OF PROMO IN THE MAKING STORY: Filming has begun on 'Chemical Wedding', a dark supernatural thriller inspired by the life of occult figure Aleister Crowley. Bruce Dickinson, front man of legendary heavy metal band Iron Maiden, makes his debut in the world of cinema as screenwriter of the movie's original screenplay. Dickinson, who is also a full-time pilot and hosts a radio music program, says the idea of making the movie came about with director Julian Doyle, who was involved in the Monty Python films, many years back while shooting an Iron Maiden video. "We were chatting about all kinds of other related things to do with films and Julian said 'Why don't we try and do a film involving, sort of, Iron Maiden?' and I said 'Julian, it's not gonna wash, we're not that kind of a band' and then I said ' I tell you what, nobody's ever done a film about this guy' meaning Aleister Crowley. We both scratched our noddles and went 'Why on earth not?," Dickinson told Reuters on the sidelines of the set. The film is about a shy and stuttering university professor, played by actor Simon Callow, famed for his roles in "Four Weddings and a Funeral" and "Amadeus" who is transformed by the spirit of Crowley and turns into a sexually depraved and charismatic figure. Crowley was a notorious mystic and occult scholar from the early 20th century who founded secret societies and indulged in black magic rituals among other things. Tabloid equivalents of the time called him 'the wickedest man in the world'. Dickinson, who is also a published author, says he is enjoying working in the world of film but sees it primarily an opportunity to work on his love for writing. "My experience with stages is obviously Iron Maiden and that sort of stuff but you know, I've directed a few videos over the course of my rock'n'roll past and I enjoyed them. I enjoyed directing videos, writing movies a completely different thing. I wrote a couple of absurd comic novels that came out as well and you know, they did ok actually. So, writing is something that's always sort of interested me, so this seemed like a good opportunity to learn the process really." When asked how he thinks Iron Maiden fans will react to the movie, the 49-year-old said he believes fans will be pleased and will also give the band a new type of exposure. "I think they'll enjoy it, I think they'll enjoy it. On several levels, I think it will be nice for them to see somebody from (Iron) Maiden doing something else that gets that band's name out there and also potentially gets a bit of respect for heavy metal and all the rest of it. But, in addition, I think they'll just enjoy it. It's a rollicking good story," he said. Dickinson said he will also make a couple of appearances in the movie, along with his children, but refuses to reveal more, saying fans will just have to wait and spot him. And as far as Iron Maiden plans are concerned, once again Dickinson remains mysterious but says all will be revealed soon. "We're gonna put out a big press release statement but I mean it's no secret because I said it at Dollington that we're gonna be appearing in a few big fields in Europe next summer but there's a few more special things than that but, you'll just, sorry, gonna have to keep quiet about that one," he says smirking. The six-member band has more than 25 albums to their credit. The 5 million U.S. dollar movie is due for release in the autumn of 2008. |