AC/DC – Amazon Movie Studios Option BON SCOTT Biopic

High Voltage Productions, LLC. in Charleston, SC., the production company behind the rock-and-roll biopic, Bon Scott – The Legend of AC/DC Unauthorized, has announced that they have optioned their story to Amazon Studios for development.

Amazon Studios recently disclosed that they will ‘produce and acquire original movies for theatrical release and early-window distribution,’ according to an article in Variety Magazine in January 2015. Producer Ted Hope was chosen to head up Amazon Original Movies’ creative development department after running such production companies as Good Machine and Fandor who specialized in independent titles.

According to the article in Variety, “Amazon plans to produce about 12 movies per year with budgets ranging from $5M-$25M per title.” The Bon Scott biopic has been estimated to require a $5M – $10M budget contingent upon variables relative to production, including music licensing. AC/DC has been notorious for requiring high licensing fees for use of their music. While High Voltage Productions noted that Albert Productions and their lawyers have exhibited a posture of flatly refusing to license their music for the project, Amazon clearly has the ability to finance its use if they wish.

The original script was penned by actor/singer, Rob Liotti, who has portrayed Scott for a number of years and is quite well-known for uncanny ability to mimic the late singer’s vocal style. Liotti has been slated to star as the late Australian rock icon, although the South Carolina based production company acknowledged that, “Amazon may or may not seek out another actor for the lead role… if Rob were to show up and simply audition, we have little doubt that he would be on the shortlist. The part requires a real singer, an Aussie accent, physical resemblance, screen presence, and preferably someone who could actually sing like Scott. But, all that remains to be seen.”

High Voltage Productions, LLC. recently announced that they planned to formulate a crowdfunding campaign, likely through Kickstarter, and stated that there have been no changes in that plan at this date.