'White Lotus' star Theo James to play George Michael in $104M biopic that will pull no punches
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'White Lotus' hunk Theo James will reportedly portray George Michael in an $104 million biopic about the 'Wham!' frontman. James, who hails from Oxford and is now 38, rose to fame in Hollywood for his portrayal of an unfaithful husband in the second season of the popular series 'White Lotus,' which featured various visitors and employees of a resort hotel.
The actor is the front-runner to portray Michael, who died in 2016, in the film, which has the support of the singer's family after the success of the biopics about Elton John and Queen's Freddie Mercury. According to insiders, the film, which is in the final stages of development, will trace the singer's career from his days with Wham! to his triumph as a solo artist with singles such as 'Careless Whisper.' Michael's drug use and controversies, such as being caught soliciting sex in a public restroom, will "not be glossed over," according to reports.
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The Daily Mail reports that a source revealed: "The script is in the final stages and producers are looking for their leading man. Theo's name is the one on everyone's lips. He would be perfect for the part. This is George's story, warts and all."
James, whose true name is Theodore Taptiklis, has Greek ancestry which he has in common with George Michael, who was born Georgios Panayiotou. Nikos, his paternal grandfather, escaped Athens as the Nazis occupied the city in 1941. James, who starred in the science fiction film series 'Divergent,' revealed last week that he was interested in playing the role, telling a US TV program, "Oh yeah, I would love that.' He is an icon. He is a bit Greek and I am a bit Greek."
In the second season of the Widley popular HBO anthology series 'White Lotus' James played Cameron Sullivan, a married man who cheats on his wife played by Meghann Fahy. Divergent star will play the lead role in 'The Gentlemen,' a Netflix original series based on the action-packed drama of the same name from 2019. He will play the fictional Eddie Halstead, who inherits a "considerable estate" from his father only to learn that it is actually a "weed empire owned by the legendary Mickey Pearson." James is rumored to have already started filming in London for the eagerly awaited series adaption.