Billie Joe Armstrong to star in American Idiot film

The American Idiot stageshow is moving to the silver screen, with Green Day's Billie Joe in a starring role.

The Hollywood Reporter confirms that Tom Hanks' production company Playtone is developing a movie version of the Broadway musical of the 2004 album.

American Idiot the movie will be directed by Michael Mayer, who also directed the musical.

Green Day frontman, lyricist for the musical, and occasional actor Billie Joe Armstrong will play St. Jimmy, the drug-dealer id of the main character, in the film.

Armstrong played St. Jimmy during the stage version for a few weeks of the run, the part also being played by stage actor Tony Vincent, and musicians Melissa Etheridge and Davey Havok of emo stars AFI.

Playtone partner Gary Goetzman is hoping that it will be as successful as their first stage adaptation: Mamma Mia!.

He said, 'Mamma Mia! proved that if the musical is right, obviously it can go into the stratosphere, as far as box office gross. We're always looking for musicals.'

The film version of American Idiot is mooted for a 2013 release.

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