Another iconic rock band is getting the biopic treatment.Nick Jonasis set to star asKISSlead singerPaul StanleyinShout It Out Loud. The project will be directed by action mavenMcG, in what will be the director’s first biographical film since the 2006 sports dramaWe Are Marshall.Deadlinereports that the film is expected to begin production in late 2025 or early 2026.
Jonas will reportedly do his own singing in the film, which will dramatize the formation and early years of the band before they became arena-rock legends. Jonas certainly has the experience to do so, having risen to fame with theJonas Brothersband, and later performed solo, with his own band,Nick Jonas & the Administration, and on stage (much like Stanley, who starred asThe Phantom of the Operain Toronto in the 1990s). However, he will apparently need some time to practice replicating Stanley’s unique vocalizations. That will give McG time to cast bassistGene Simmons, who will be the film’s other lead character, as well as bandmatesAce FrehleyandPeter Criss.
Who Is KISS?
Formed in New York City in 1973, KISS rose to fame in the late 1970s, backing their hard-rocking tunes with a stage persona unlike any other. Their identities concealed beneath makeup, the band took on comic-book-styled personae, and accompanied their concerts with eruptions of flame, smoke, and blood. They soon became pop culture icons, assembling a devoted fanbase referred to as the Kiss Army. The band’s willingness to license their name for any sort of merchandise imaginable is legendary; one of their more notable stunts included a KISS comic book fromMarvelthat featured the band’s blood mixed into the comic’s ink. They’ve alsograced the screena number of times, with cameos in films likeDetroit Rock CityandWhy Him?, and guest appearances on shows likeMillennium,Family Guy, andThat ’70s Show. They even starred in their own 1978 TV special,Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, in which the band used their superpowers to defeat aScooby-Doo-style supervillain (Anthony Zerbe).
Shout It Out Loudhas been in the works for some time: the most recent draft of the script is byDarren Lemke(Shazam!). It will be produced by McG, KISS members Simmons and Stanley, plusMark Canton,Doc McGhee,Leigh Ann Burton,Mary Viola,David Hopwood,Courtney Solomon,Dorothy Canton, Universal Music Group’sJody Gerson, and Polygam’sDavid Blackman.
Shout It Out Loudwill begin production late this year or early next year;no release date has yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
