A film about the wild birth and criminal fallout of the Chippendales clubs has been waiting backstage in development for years now. It appears finally ready to strut its stuff, with Seth Rogen and Elle Fanning in talks to join star Dev Patel in the film.
Craig Gillespie is on to direct, with Lauren Blum and Rebecca Angelo writing the latest draft of the script. The story focuses on Steve Banerjee (Patel), the man who originated the idea for the stripping sensations.
After moving to the States from India, Bannerjee starting out running gas stations and mud-wrestling clubs, before hitting pay dirt when he came up with the idea of presenting male strippers in a choreographed, brand-named touring fantasy show. But behind the success was a catalogue of lawsuits and mad paranoia, culminating in Banerjee paying a hit man to have original 'dales choreographer Nick DeNoia (Rogen, reportedly, though Deadline has not confirmed it) murdered. Denied bail following evidence that he'd made arrangements to flee to India in a private plane, Banerjee hung himself in his cell, hours before his sentencing. Fanning would be Dorothy Stratten, who helped come up with the signature cuffs and collars outfits for the dancers. A Playboy bunny, she was the girlfriend of Paul Snider, one of Bannerjee's early collaborators, who ended up killing her and then himself.
If this version of the movie – we last reported on one that also included Ben Stiller playing DeNoia - comes together, it'll kick off shooting next year.