The wild and crazy life of two-time world champion motorcycle racer Barry Sheene is being developed into a feature-length film by a joint British-Australian film production.
Simply titled “Sheene” it should be a funny, dramatic and exciting film depicting the funny, dramatic and exciting life of the racer.
Even though the above teaser video has been released on YouTube, filming has not yet started, there is no timeline yet for the film’s release and no announcement about who will play the lead character.
Who do you think should play Sheene in the film? Leave your comments below.
“Sheene” is based on his biography “Barry: The Story of Motorcycling Legend Barry Sheene” by his teammate Steve Parrish and MotoGP commentator Nick Harris.
IO Films Australia and Deep Spring Pictures UK are still developing the film with a script from Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement who previously scripted “The Commitments,” “The Bank Job,” “Flushed Away” and “Across the Universe” and TV series “Auf Wiedersehen Pet” and “Lovejoy.”
Barry was well loved in his native Britain as well as his adopted Australia.
He was born in London in 1950, and was back-to-back world 500cc champion for Suzuki in 1976-77 after a spectacular crash at the Daytona 200 in 1975.
He almost died in the crash that would have ended many other riders’ careers, yet he came back stronger than ever and more determined to win.
He was a talented racer and tough competitor whose titanic battles with American Kenny Roberts are legendary.
Barry SheeneThe Cockney larrikin and playboy also lived a crazy off-track life and counted rock stars Ringo and George Harrison as his friends.
His racing style and partying lifestyle was credited with bringing motorcycle racing to a more mainstream audience.
Barry should also be credited with improving the safety of tracks and the development of the first motorcycle back armour.
He won 23 GPs and retired in 1984 to move to Australia where he was a TV sports commentator, property developer and well known for his series of Shell ads with similarly laconic racing driver Dick Johnson.
Barry died of cancer at the age of 52 in 2003.
“Sheene” producer Will Stoppard says he was addicted by the thrill of speed growing up with his mother as a racetrack doctor.
“It’s a rush to be making a movie about Barry Sheene – bringing his story and legacy to the big screen,” he says.
“Cops to this day say to speeding motorcycle riders, ‘Who do you think YOU are? Barry Sheene?’”