It’s been a minute since we had a dramatic (or comedic) story about a radio station. If you think about it, “something weird or troubling or just plain wacky goes down at the radio station and/or involves a DJ” is a storied theme: Airheads. Pirate Radio. Good Morning Vietnam. Talk Radio. The Fisher King.
I’m not saying Video Killed the Radio Star is going to be on par with those films (your opinions about them may vary), but that it follows in the footsteps of all kinds of radio tales. The upcoming film from director Brad Watson (I’ll Play Mother) stars Luke Brandon (Jojo Rabbit) and Harriet Cains (Bridgerton, pictured above) as a DJ and his assistant who have to deal with some unearthly issues. Here’s how Deadline summarizes it:
The film follows a pirate radio DJ (Field) who accidentally unleashes a demonic force during his broadcast, turning the station into a battleground for humanity. As the supernatural threat spreads through the airwaves, the DJ and his assistant (Cains) must confront the horrors they’ve unleashed.
The story is also said to explore “how the rising popularity of 1980s music videos posed a threat to traditional radio broadcasts.” It’s set in 1979, naturally, because that’s the same year The Buggles released the song “Video Killed the Radio Star,” which will now be in your head for several hours.
Video Killed the Radio Star, the movie, was created by Ben Charles Edwards (Father of Flies) and Kirsty Bell (the director of A Bird Flew In), with screenplay by Mark A. C. Brown. It’s in production now.
