Photo Credit: Public Domain
Mucho Mas Media and Sony Pictures have announced they’re developing a remake of the 1987 film ‘La Bamba,’ which is based on the life of rock legend Ritchie Valens.
Variety reports that Luis Valdez, the writer and director of the original film is also on board as an executive producer for the remake. Writer José Rivera is attached to the remake to pen the script. Lou Diamond Phillips portrayed Valens in the 1987 film—it’s unclear who is attached to play Valens in the remake.
The original ‘La Bamba’ catalog’s the Mexican-American rock and roll legend’s rise to fame, beginning as a field laborer to rock star with his hit singles. The film features several songs performed by Los Lobos and the ‘50s tune “La Bamba,” highlighting the early days of rock and roll while paying homage to the legacy of Valens and his indelible mark on rock and roll.
‘La Bamba’ was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Drama and Song of the Year at the 1988 Grammy Awards. In 2017, the film was added to the National Film Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress, recognizing its historical and cultural impact for the American people.
Valens has long been considered an icon of the early rock and roll movement before his life was tragically cut short in a plane crash at 17. Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper also died in the same plane crash on February 3, 1959. Don McLean’s 1971 hit “American Pie” pays homage to this date, giving it the epithet, “The Day the Music Died.”
“Together with the rock and roll classics of Ritchie Valens, my 1987 biopic ‘La Bamba’ has graciously withstood the test of time,” Luis Valdez shared with Variety. “And yet, the tragically short life and career of Richard Valenzuela continues to inspire new generations of fans the world over. As new biographical details have come to light, a new cinematic look at his eternally young seventeen years on earth can only add to his undying legend.”
Javier Chapa in on board to produce for Mucho Mas Media, while Sherrese Clarke Soares, Phillip Braun, Robert Muñoz, Simon Wise, Vincent Cordero, and Bruce Barshop will executive produce. Sony Music Mexico will also serve as a creative partner on the music for the film.
