Colson Baker — better known as rapper Machine Gun Kelly — is set to portray Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee in The Dirt, Netflix's film adaptation of the hair-metal legends' 2001 biography of the same name, reports Variety.
The Ohio M.C. confirmed his casting on Twitter, linking to Variety's report with the following caption: "And it's finally announced. Excuse me for being crass but.... HOLY FUCKING SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!!!"" He added that the film's producers have hired Baker's brother to help the rapper perfect his drumming skills. "I WILL learn the drums and finish the new album before we start filming," he said, alluding to his upcoming LP (due out tentatively sometime this year).
Directed by Jeff Tremaine (Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa) and based on a script by Rich Wilkes and Tom Kapinos, The Dirt follows Mötley Crüe's ascent to rock stardom in the Eighties, amid Los Angeles' infamous "hair band" scene, and debauched ups-and-downs that followed. The group — who parted ways in 2015 — are credited as co-producers for the flick, which, according to Variety, has been in the works for over a decade. Its release date is currently TBA.
UPDATE: The rest of the Mötley Crüe lineup — as portrayed in The Dirt, anyway — appears to be set. Iwan Rheon (Game of Thrones baddie Ramsay Bolton) and Daniel Webber (The Punisher's particularly traumatized veteran Lewis Wilson) are in talks to play guitarist Mick Mars and singer Vince Neil, respectively, according to Hollywood Reporter; meanwhile, English actor Douglas Booth (Noah, Jupiter Ascending) has been cast as bassist Nikki Sixx.
UPDATE 2: Tony Cavalero, best known for playing rocker-cum-substitute teacher Dewey Finn on the television series adaptation of 2003's comedy School of Rock, has been cast as Ozzy Osbourne in the film, according to Deadline. Here's a side-by-side comparison of the two:
