Joy Division story set for big screen

A film documenting the life of the late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis is to be produced.

17:04 07 January 2005

A film documenting the life of the late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis is to be produced.

A book by Curtis's widow Deborah, called Touching From A Distance, will form the basis of the production.

The film will be co-produced by music mogul Tony Wilson, who led the record company Joy Division were signed to.

Mr Wilson asked to be involved in the production in order to make it an "official" account of the musician's life before he committed suicide in 1980, aged just 23.

Previous plans for a movie about Curtis were scuppered last year after his family refused to back the idea.

This time, however, Mr Wilson's involvement seems set to ensure the film is made, as he remains friends with members of Curtis's family and is committed to presenting a true picture of the singer's life.

"This is much more than the music - they want to do the real story of Ian," he said.

"People have different ideas as to why Ian committed suicide, so maybe the film will reflect those different views."

Mr Wilson founded Factory Records in 1978 and has been involved with the Manchester music scene ever since, going on to be associated with Joy Division's successor band New Order, as well as the Happy Mondays.