Dev Patel and Chippendales strippers? What more could a guy ask for?
Variety reports that I, Tonya director Craig Gillespie is giving us a biopic about the creation of the iconic Chippendales dance troupe and striptease company. The film will specifically focus on Indian-American entrepreneur Steve Banerjee who co-founded the dance troupe. But that’s not all, the story will follow the darker side of business in the form of murder.
As Variety writes, the film’s Banerjee is, “an Indian immigrant who acquires the struggling L.A. club Destiny II and transforms it into a hot spot. The club features women’s mud wrestling and a ladies-only male exotic dance night, which becomes the basis for the famous “Chippendales” group. Soon enough, Banerjee finds himself earning $8 million a year, and with the help of co-creators Paul Snider and his playboy bunny girlfriend Dorothy Stratten, builds an empire on the idea. However, treasure soon turns to tragedy when Snider murders Stratten and then commits suicide, sending Banerjee into a downward spiral of legal battles.”
And who will be the star of this business and dance film? None other than Dev Patel (Lions, Slumdog Millionaire).
This film has been in the works since 2017, but its pre-production had been stalled for some time. Funny enough, it’s now, in a time where many film projects have been put on hold, that this biopic has picked up steam and hired a director. As for Patel, this is great news for him as it keeps his name in Hollywood’s ears. That’s especially important as his upcoming A24 film The Green Knight was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic (which has stalled most other film premieres too).
But will production be stalled? Some film productions have gone back into filming, so there might be a chance for Chippendales. That said, there’s currently no word on when this film will begin its own filming. What we DO know is that we’re excited to see Dev Patel thrive in another film. And having him surrounded by a bunch of shirtless male dancers doesn’t harm what we’re sure will be an interesting experience.
Source: Variety
