Malin Akerman will play Blondie singer Debbie Harry in ‘CBGB’.
The actress joins a cast including Alan Rickman and Rupert Grint in the movie which tells the story of New York City nightspot CBGB – Country, BlueGrass, and Blues – and its impact on the underground music scene.
Blondie were regulars at the club – which had a rule saying bands could not play cover versions – before and after they earned commercial success following their debut album in 1976.
The venue shut in 2006 in a dispute over rent, and owner Hilly Kristal [Rickman] died a year later – but a series of CBGB -branded festivals still take place in New York.
Randall Miller will direct the project, and he co-wrote the script with Jody Savin, who believes Alan possesses some similarities to Hilly.
He said in a statement: "We wrote this role for Alan Rickman who, like Hilly Kristal, is a true champion of the arts."
Malin will next appear on the big screen in ‘Rock of Ages’ in which she plays a reporter covering Tom Cruise’s character Stacee Jaxx.
The musical also stars Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand and Julianne Hough.