A Muslim teen in ‘80s Britain finds himself through the music of Bruce Springsteen in Blinded by the Light, a buzzy upcoming film just acquired by New Line and Warner Bros. in a $15 million deal (via Deadline). Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) directed The Boss-soundtracked film, which premiered at Sundance on Sunday (January 27th) to solid acclaim.
Based on Sarfraz Manzoor’s 2008 memoir Greetings from Bury Park, the film is set in England amidst racial and economic turmoil. The illuminating story follows a 16 year-old Pakistani boy Javed (Viveik Kalra) who is gifted Bruce Springsteen cassettes by a friend. The working class anthems hit a chord with Javed, as he navigates his own path as an aspiring young writer in a difficult climate.
The Boss himself has co-signed the film, giving permission for filmmakers to use a staggering 16 of his iconic songs for the soundtrack. Kalra stars alongside rising British actors like Nell Williams (recognizable as a young Cersei Lannister on Game of Thrones) and Hayley Atwell. Chadha penned the script alongside her Bend It Like Beckham co-scribe Paul Mayeda Berges and Manzoor himself.
Blinded by the Light will have a “big wide release,” according to Deadline, possibly as soon as this summer.
