In a major coup for new Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios president David Greenbaum, the studio has secured the rights to “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” a film chronicling the making of Bruce Springsteen’s seminal 1982 album “Nebraska.”
The project has lined up an impressive creative team, with Emmy-winning “The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White in talks to portray the legendary rocker. Acclaimed director Scott Cooper (“Crazy Heart,” “Hostiles”) is set to write and direct the film, which is based on Warren Zanes’ 2023 book “Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska.”
Greenbaum, who previously co-headed Searchlight Pictures, has made this high-profile acquisition one of his first major moves since taking the reins at Disney Live Action and 20th Century Studios. The film is expected to provide a window into Springsteen’s creative process during a crucial period in his career, as he grappled with personal demons while recording the stark, solo-acoustic “Nebraska” album, rather than the full-band rock album that was widely expected.
“It is a once-in-a-lifetime honor to be collaborating with Bruce Springsteen, an inspiring and incomparable artist who represents so much to so many,” Greenbaum said. “The deep authenticity of his story is in great hands with my friend Scott Cooper whom I am thrilled to be collaborating with once again.”
Springsteen and his longtime manager, Jon Landau, will be actively involved with the project, lending their support and expertise to ensure the film captures the essence of this pivotal moment in the iconic musician’s artistic journey.
“Warren Zanes’ ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’ is one of the best books ever written about Bruce Springsteen and his music,” Landau said. “Bruce and I are thrilled that Scott Cooper has chosen to write and direct the film based on that book — we think he’s the perfect filmmaker for the job.”
The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Eric Robinson, who are producing the film alongside Cooper and Scott Stuber, expressed their excitement about the opportunity to bring Springsteen’s story to the big screen.
“When we first read Warren Zanes’ brilliant book, we knew there was a beautiful film to be made that captured the portrait of an iconic artist as a human being at a crucial moment in his artistic life,” they said in a joint statement. “We also knew there was only one filmmaker who could translate this story to cinema with verve and poetry, and that was Scott Cooper.”
For Cooper, the chance to explore the creative process behind “Nebraska” and Springsteen’s impact on the human condition is a dream project. “Bruce Springsteen, and ‘Nebraska,’ in particular, have had a profound impact on me and my work,” the director said. “This film has the potential to be a transformative cinematic experience, offering audiences a window into the soul of Bruce Springsteen and the universal truths that bind us all together.”
With its talented cast, acclaimed director, and the full support of Springsteen and his team, “Deliver Me From Nowhere” is poised to be a must-see biopic for fans of the legendary musician and cinephiles alike. Production on the film is expected to begin this fall, with a global theatrical release planned before it makes its way through Disney’s various distribution channels.
