James Dean Garage Band
R. J. WARD - Writer
R.J. WARD is a screenwriter and musician who has written scripts for major studios and indies, including The Last Jaguar for MGM, The Black Arrow for Paramount, Budding Prospects for Ron Yerxa (Bona Fide), and The Smoking Mirror for CBS. His earliest memory as a kid living in St. Louis was listening to rock ‘n roll and R&B on the radio at night, picking up the great music that came out of Memphis, Chicago and New Orleans—Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry, among many others.
When he read Rick Moody’s short story, The James Dean Garage Band, R.J. saw the potential for a film that would explore the mythic enigma of James Dean in a fresh way, and feature the raucous early rock ‘n roll of Memphis based Sun Records. After completing several drafts of the script, he showed it to his brother David Ward, convinced it would be a perfect film for David to direct, given their shared passion for the music and Dean’s enduring rebel legacy. David agreed, and they’ve worked together since to bring their vision of rock ‘n roll redemption to the screen.