Scorsese’s follow up to “Long Strange Trip,” has been in production since 2021
By Clayton “Tiger” Hulin, photo by Carl Lender
Apple Studios has greenlit a feature film about one of America’s most iconic bands, the Grateful Dead, with Martin Scorsese directing and Jonah Hill set to star as Jerry Garcia. The announcement has drawn a mixture of curiosity and cautious optimism from fans. The movie promises to explore the story of a generation, following the band from its early counterculture days in 1960s San Francisco through its meteoric rise and the pressures of fame.
This won’t be Scorsese’s first brush with the Dead. In 2017, he served as executive producer on the six-part documentary Long Strange Trip, a visually lush and emotionally raw exploration of the band’s history. Now, the acclaimed director returns to the source with a dramatized retelling, this time navigating the complex figure of Garcia himself: a gentle outlaw, reluctant prophet, and tragic casualty of excess.
Hill, known best for comedic and dramatic turns in Superbad, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Maniac, is stepping into Garcia’s sandals with the weight of expectation and reverence. Though many remember Hill for his humor, his résumé includes several darker, more reflective performances that suggest he’s capable of embodying the enigmatic frontman.
Hill’s directorial debut Mid90s and his work in Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot proved he can handle nuance. But taking on Garcia is another challenge altogether. Garcia, more symbol than man to some, represented not just a band but a way of seeing the world… open, improvisational, self-destructive, yet deeply spiritual. To portray him authentically is to confront the contradictions of a man who carried the dreams of millions while quietly crumbling beneath their weight.
Surviving band members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart, and Bill Kreutzmann have signed on as executive producers, signaling that the film will aim for authenticity. Notably, bassist Phil Lesh—who passed away in October—had also signed on before his death, a gesture that underscores the project’s significance and its intent to honor the band’s legacy. Meanwhile, speculation continues to swirl about who will round out the cast. While no names have been officially announced, fans have taken to Reddit and online forums to imagine casting choices for Bob Weir and others. John Mayer, Jason Segel, and even Timothée Chalamet have been tossed around in comment sections, though none are confirmed.
As of now, the project remains in development with no confirmed production timeline. Scorsese is juggling other commitments, and Apple Studios has kept additional details under wraps. Whether this becomes another rock biopic or something more transcendent will depend on how deep the filmmakers are willing to go.
Hill is known to work closely with repeat collaborators, so eyes are on whether actors from his past projects will join him in this psychedelic pilgrimage.
And with a story that risks as much reverence as it does backlash, one can only ask:
What kindness might heaven offer the man who played for the stars?
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Datebook. (2021). Grateful Dead biopic directed by Martin Scorsese to star Jonah Hill as Jerry Garcia. Retrieved from: Jonah Hill to play Jerry Garcia in Martin Scorsese’s Grateful Dead biopic for Apple TV | Datebook
Pitchfork. (2021). Jonah Hill to play Jerry Garcia in Martin Scorsese’s new Grateful Dead biopic. Retrieved from: Jonah Hill to Play Jerry Garcia in Martin Scorsese’s New Grateful Dead Biopic | Pitchfork
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Long Strange Trip. Retrieved from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Strange_Trip
ScreenRant. (2024). Martin Scorsese’s Grateful Dead biopic: cast updates & development status. Retrieved from: Is The Martin Scorsese-Jonah Hill Grateful Dead Biopic Still Happening?: Cast & Everything We Know
Reddit. (2024). What happened to the Scorsese Dead biopic? Retrieved from: https://www.reddit.com/r/gratefuldead/comments/15w9cl5/what_happened_to_the_scorsese_dead_biopic/
