Tarantino Set To Direct Jimi Hendrix Biopic?

At the moment, I'm not sure how much salt this news story should be seasoned with, but reports have started appearing that Tarantino's next project - after Death Proof - is not Inglorious Bastards, nor is it a kung fu film in Mandarin, but, in fact, a biopic of Jimi Hendrix.

The screenplay was not written by QT, but apparently, he is a big fan of it and has already signed on the doted line to direct. I'm told that the film will start filming in Seattle in September, moving on to London, New York, Toronto, Montreal and The Isle of White.

Early scenes feature Hendrix as a very young kid and later scenes reportedly show him jamming in the studio with Mick Jagger, though little else is known about the script at this point.

Jimi Hendrix interview footage that was originally filmed by Joe Boyd and John Head is now in the ownership of Elle von Lear, longtime Hendrix family friend and executive of Dragonslayer Entertainment, who will be producing the film. Apparently, Tarantino is keen to use this footage in the finished movie, intercutting it with the fictionalised narrative.

Previous directors linked to the project were Dominic Sena, David Fincher and Clint Eastwood. If Tarantino shares my views on that little lot in any way he may have signed on just to keep the project out of their film-tearing claws.

Expect the Tarantino Hendrix biopic - if there even is one - to launch late in 2007.