Nelly, Colin Hanks and Diane Guerrero have joined the cast of Clear Lake, the Buddy Holly-inspired biopic to be directed by Bruce Beresford.
They join Ruairi O’Connor, The Spanish Princess star earlier tapped to play rock and roll pioneer Holly. Hanks will co-star as Norman Petty, Holly’s manager and producer, while Nelly will fill the role of Chuck Berry.
Orange Is the New Black star Guerrero will play Maria Elena Holly, the wife of Holly who, along with Ritchie Valens, J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson and pilot Roger Peterson died in a plane crash outside a snowy Clear Lake, Iowa, on Feb. 3, 1959.
Clear Lake will open with Holly’s teen years, then portray his 1958 Biggest Show of Stars tour with Clarence Collins, founder of Little Anthony & the Imperials, as they broke racial barriers by performing together across the U.S. in 1958.
The movie is produced by Rick French, Stuart Benjamin, David Hirshland and Kathy Rivkin Daum, while Maria Elena Holly, Stephen Easley and Peter Bradley, Jr. are associate producers. Patrick Shanahan, who penned the screenplay, is a co-producer.
Hanks is represented by UTA and MGMT Entertainment. Guerrero is repped by A3 Artists Agency and Vamnation Entertainment.
And Nelly is repped by ICM Partners and KWL Management.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.
