‘CBGB’ Film Getting 2013 Release

A feature film tracing the origins of New York City's punk and New Wave scenes -- including bands like the Ramones, the Patti Smith Group and the Talking Heads -- through the former downtown club CBGB and its owner, Hilly Kristal, finished shooting last month and is slated to hit the big screen next year. That's the word from writer Jody Savin and director Randall Miller of Unclaimed Freight Productions, the team behind the project.

"It is a story of Hilly and how he basically was the catalyst for this gigantic, sea-changing music," Miller tells Rolling Stone. "And he didn't set out to do that initially, but he became sort of the godfather of punk and underground rock." He adds that Punk magazine's role in scene is also explored.

Footage was shot in NYC, at late CBGB owner Hilly Kristal's farm in New Jersey and, due to lucrative tax credits, on location in Savannah, Georgia. They finished shooting in August and now are editing the 100-minute feature.

The flick will feature a mixture of known and undiscovered talent, including actress Malin Akerman, who is known for her resemblance to Blondie's Debbie Harry; actor Rupert Grint, a veteran the 'Harry Potter' movies who plays Cheetah Chrome of the Dead Boys; Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, who lost some weight to play Iggy Pop; and English actor Alan Rickman, who takes on the roll of Kristal.

More than 40 tunes from the period will be featured on the soundtrack of the feature, which has a budget of less than $10 million. "The music decisions are not done yet," admits Savin, who adds that "some bands are more cooperative than others."