One of hard rock's most irrepressible figures, original AC/DC frontman Bon Scott is set to have his early life immortalized on film.
Announced on May 7, the biopic is currently titled The Kid From Harvest Road, and will reportedly focus on Scott's formative years, shooting in Western Australia. Halo Films and Protocol Pictures are producing the film, aiming for a 2025 release. Young Australian actor Lee Tiger Halley, most recently seen in the Netflix series Boy Swallows Universe, is on tap to play Scott.
‘We are thrilled to embark on this journey to illuminate the early years of Bon Scott,’ Ian Hale of Halo Films said in an announcement. "His story is one of resilience, passion, and the relentless pursuit of his dreams. Through this film, we aim to honor his legacy and inspire audiences with the transformative power of music and determination."
The film will be scripted by Stephen Belowsky, who said in a statement: "I was truly inspired by his charismatic character, but what interested me most was his early, life not the caricature we all know on stage, the teen who walked the streets of Fremantle."
Famed for his insinuating sense of humor, his shirtless wildman antics onstage, and of course his voice -- which managed to conjure undeniable soul out of an alley-cat screech -- Scott was born in Scotland and immigrated to Australia at the age of six. He had kicked around in various bands for a solid decade before he joined forces with the brothers Angus and Malcolm Young in AC/DC in 1974, after which the band steadily began to build a following.
While Angus' peacocking schoolboy routine often made him the band's focal point, Scott was the heart of AC/DC, with his mixture of menace and wit giving the band's early hits "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)," "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" and "Whole Lotta Rosie" their special sauce. AC/DC had only recently released their most polished, most internationally successful effort yet, Highway to Hell, when Scott was found dead at the age of 33, his cause of death registered as "acute alcohol poisoning."
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In one of the most successful second acts in rock history, AC/DC eventually decided to soldier on after Scott's death, recruiting Brian Johnson as lead singer. The band's first album with Johnson, 1980's Back in Black, would go on to sell more than 50 million copies worldwide, making it one of the most best-selling albums of all time. The band continued to enjoy blockbuster success for decades afterward, earning induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2003.
The band recently announced its first tour in years, which will kick off in May in Germany, and include stops all over Europe and the U.K., including two shows at London's Wembley Stadium in July.
