Rolling Stones 'land £50m mega-deal for TV drama'
The Rolling Stones have reportedly signed a £50 million deal for a new TV drama based on their rise to fame.
The lucrative deal means the new 16-part drama series from the makers of 'The Crown' will be able to use the band's music to help tell their story from their formation in 1962 until the release of 1974 album 'It's Only Rock 'n' Roll'.
An insider told the Daily Mail newspaper: "The Stones see this series as being their legacy. When they can't tour any more, this will remain alongside the music."
The publication reports the bulk of the cash will be going to the band's two main songwriters - Sir Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.
No casting details have been confirmed but it's believed the show will air across two seasons on the FX network.
The Daily Mail also reports 'Fever Pitch' author Nick Hornby had previously been drafted in to write the script and held meetings with singer Jagger, but it no longer involved with the project.
The series is believed to be covering the tragic death of original guitarist/bassist Brian Jones, who was sacked from the band in 1969 and was found drowned in a swimming pool just weeks later.
Reports suggest the show will also focus on Keith's battle with drug addiction and the making of
1972 album 'Exile On Main Street'.
Hornby previously said of the project: "I think both with 'The Crown' and with this, you have to have dramatic scenes involving dialogue which you can only guess at ... You think, well, this was happening then, and to these people, and now I’m going to put them in a room and have them talk about it.
"So there are parameters to what you’re imagining — it’s rooted in the reality of the situation — and with The Stones it’s the same thing.
"I've loved the research. I talk to the lead singer of the band quite regularly and that’s been completely fascinating."
