LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — Austin Powers star Mike Myers is to play the late Keith Moon in a film about The Who's wild drummer.
The band's lead singer Roger Daltrey is producing the movie, which is finally getting off the ground after 10 years.
Myers first became interested in the role several years ago, but was too busy to sign on the dotted line.
Variety reported that he is now set to play one of his great heroes.
Moon died from an overdose of prescription drugs in 1978, at the age of 32, after securing a place in rock history.
Myers, 42, who last appeared on screen in The Cat In The Hat, a movie adaptation of the famous Dr Seuss story, met Daltrey in 2002 to talk about the project, and the singer endorsed him.
The movie is being made with Spitfire Pictures, which produced Martin Scorsese's documentary Bob Dylan: No Direction Home.
Moon's penchant for blowing up toilets, heaving televisions out of hotel windows and letting off fire extinguishers set the rock 'n' roll standard for trashing hotel rooms.
His frenzied drumming style provided the inspiration
for the Muppet character Animal.
Moon once rigged his drum kit to explode at the climax of My Generation during an appearance on American TV – causing guitarist Pete Townshend's hair to catch fire, and Moon to get injured as well.
The Who's bassist John Entwistle was found dead in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2002 on the eve of a US tour by the band.
Townshend and Daltrey recently reunited to sing versions of classics Who Are You? and Won't Get Fooled Again at the Live 8 anti-poverty concert.
