Simon Cowell Gets Star Struck

Thu., Aug. 2, 2007 12:15 PM PDT by Gina Serpe

It may not be the most novel idea in the world, but no one can fault Simon Cowell for sticking to a winning formula.

The American Idol judge has signed on to produce his first feature film, the rather familiar sounding Star Struck.

The music-themed project, inspired by 1980's classic Fame, will be set behind the scenes of a TV singing competition and will follow the 10 contestants vying to be crowned the winner.

"The story is told through the eyes of those 10 contestants," Cowell told the Hollywood Reporter. "We want it to be the musical version of Rocky—an underdog story, a feel-good film."

No word on whether a pohawk-proficient hairstylist has been hired.

"Fame was all about young people wanting to be famous, and in order to do that, they enrolled in a drama school," Cowell said. "The difference 25 years later is that everyone who wants to be famous today signs up for American Idol."

In a case of art imitating life, the 10 contestants who will battle it out on the big screen must first battle it out in the casting calls. The actors who will play the film's leads will be cast through open auditions held in seven or eight U.S. cities early next year, much like the would-be American Idol contestants are forced to endure.

Cowell told the trade that the casting process will be crucial, as he hopes to book only unknown thespians. As with Idol, Cowell will be present for most of the traveling auditions.

"To enjoy the film, you've got to watch the actors and believe that they are contestants on a reality show," he said.

Cowell has been mulling the movie idea for the past few years, when he hired veteran British TV writer Jonathan Harvey, whose credits include a stint on the long-running prime-time U.K. soap Coronation Street, to begin work on a script. Cowell finally signed off on a synopsis this week, with the hopes of releasing it in summer 2008.

"The most important thing for the film was the timing," he said. "We decided that next summer will be the right time to launch it. We always believed that a TV show like Idol would be successful. I have the same feeling about doing this movie."

In the meantime, Cowell has plenty to keep him busy.

His ABC reality series, American Inventor, ended its season Wednesday with Gregg Chavez, a California firefighter, taking home the $1 million prize for his Christmas tree fire suppressor, an invention 10 years in the making. His other summer offering, NBC's America's Got Talent, wraps its second season Aug. 21.

And then there's Idol.

Auditions for the seventh season of the reality juggernaut kicked off in San Diego this week, with more than 10,000 wannabes showing up for their shot at stardom.

The Idol auditions will continue in coming weeks in Dallas, Omaha, Atlanta, Charleston, Miami and Philadelphia. The show returns to the Fox airwaves in January, around the same time auditions kick off for Star Struck.

Here's hoping the movie critics are as brutally honest as Cowell.