15 year old screen legend Dakota Fanning is to star in Floria Sigismondi's 'The Runaways' playing the role of Cherie Currie, who joined the eponymous band when she was not yet sixteen. The band were fronted by Currie, who eventually succumbed to her perilous rock'n'roll lifestyle, battling with an addiction to drugs and alcohol.
The Runaways were successful, despite only remaining together for four years. Their most famous single, 'Cherry Bomb', was named the 52nd best hard rock track of all time by VH1.
Rising star Kristen Stewart, with whom Fanning will also be starring in a sequel to last year's
Twilight, is already attached to the music biopic, portraying fellow band member Joan Jett.
It's interesting to see Fanning's career path move towards leading roles, having seen her star opposite some of Hollywood's finest in supporting roles as a child star, notably alongside this year's Oscar winner Sean Penn, in a role for which she was nominated for a Screen Actor's Guild award aged only eight, making her the youngest performer ever to be nominated. Cherie Currie will undoubtedly be her most challenging role yet.
The film, to be released next year, will be Sigismondi's feature debut. Fanning meanwhile can next be seen (or rather, heard) in
Coraline, released in the UK on May 8th.
source:
Variety
February 15, 2008, 11:44:51 AM
