Spacey to direct, star in Darin biopic

Kevin Spacey is to star in and direct Beyond the Sea – a biopic about singer Bobby Darin that begins filming in June.

Variety reports that Spacey will also produce the picture. Beyond The Sea had once been planned as a Warner Brothers picture but Spacey bought the rights from the studio two years ago.

He tells Variety that the budget for the film, which covers the 1940s to the 1970s, will be “considerable“.

And Spacey will sing several of Darin’s songs including Dream Lover, Mack the Knife, Splish Splash and the title tune during the film.

Darin was told that he would not live past his late teens due to a severe heart condition.

He set out to prove he could become a showbiz legend by the age of 25 and in fact became a big star in the music industry as well as finding success in nightclubs and in films.

He died aged 37 when his heart gave out following heart surgery. Spacey says the film won’t conflict with his new job as artistic director of the Old Vic in London – that job doesn’t start until autumn 2004.