Max | Tuesday, August 06, 2002 - 07:31 am     "American Idol" Turning Movie Idol? Mon Aug 5, 7:05 PM ET By Mark Armstrong Just imagine how those squealing teenyboppers will react when they see Justin's afro on the big screen. That's right, the polished pop wannabes of Fox's American Idol may also get to become movie idols if the show's executive producer gets his way. Series creator Simon Fuller tells the Los Angeles Times he's in talks with several studios to develop a musical starring the top two finalists from the hit summer series. Fuller says the movie he's pitching would be "a very modern story" about Britain's "Gap Year," the time between college graduation and the start of work. He'd like to have production completed and the film released by next May or June--to coincide with the conclusion of the second installment of Idol. (Will anyone still remember the first season's two finalists by then? Only time will tell.) For now, at least, excitement is building for the current competition, which will air its finals live September 3 and 4 from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood. So far, the series has become one of the summer's biggest water-cooler hits, averaging 12.2 million viewers and making household names out of contenders like Kelly Clarkson, the soulful, 20-year-old Texan; Justin Guarini, the hunky crooner with the Sideshow Bob hairdo; Tamyra Gray, the power-lunged former Miss Atlanta; and R.J. Helton, the hobbling sympathy case who tragically fell off the stage before tragically performing "Under the Boardwalk." The British-imported show also has put the spotlight on the judges--music producer Randy Jackson, erstwhile pop star and all-around nice gal Paula Abdul and nasty Brit Simon Cowell, the ego-deflating judge who usually tells the contestants exactly what most viewers are thinking. RCA has announced that the American Idol champion's debut single will be released September 24, just weeks after the final episode, with the full album set to hit stores November 26. The label also plans to release an Idol compilation in October. "If we cannot have one of the fastest-selling singles of all time on the back of this competition, then we've failed. Simple as that," Cowell told Entertainment Weekly. And that's more than just an idol threat. On the British version of the series, Pop Idol, champ Will Young and runner-up Gareth Gates have each scored number-one singles. |