Exclusive: Firth, Dante to team for Roger Corman biopic

Joe Dante has revealed that he and Colin Firth have teamed up to make a biopic about legendary B-movie director Roger Corman.

Speaking to DS, Gremlins helmer Dante - who began his movie career working with Corman - said that his film will be based around the making of Corman's 1967 drama The Trip.

"Roger's a great guy. I have a project about him, a movie called The Man With The Kaleidoscope Eyes about Roger Corman making The Trip, which is a comedy," he said.

On casting the cult director, Dante added: "Colin Firth wants to play Roger, so we're looking around for funding."

The Trip, which was written by Jack Nicholson, centres on a TV commercials director (Peter Fonda) who takes LSD while in the midst of a divorce. Corman, Nicholson, Fonda and co-star Dennis Hopper famously all took the drug in preparation for the movie.

The Trip was a precursor to Hopper's 1969's counterculture classic Easy Rider, which featured Fonda and Nicholson in starring roles.

Dante's latest film, teen horror The Hole, opens in UK cinemas on September 22.