George could make Wham! The Movie just a careless whisper
Gay icon George Michael could stop plans for a Wham! film in its tracks.
The 44-year-old pop star has sold in excess of 80 million records in a career spanning three decades.
That career started with Wham! – a pop duo formed in 1981 with Andrew Ridgeley.
Former Wham! manager, Simon Napier-Bell, is planning a documentary film focusing on the band’s heyday in the mid-80s, when the band released some of their most famous songs.
The film’s budget is said to be £50 million.
However, yesterday, Napier-Bell raised concerns about whether George Michael would consent to the use of Wham!’s music, and said that the pop star would have control and final say on each script presented.
Speaking to ITV, Napier-Bell said: “There are several people sniffing around my Wham! film.
“I’m not sure any of them will come off because they all require Wham! music in them and George controls that.”
In 1998, George Michael was fined $810 (£400) and ordered to do 80 hours community service after being convicted of ‘engaging in a lewd act’ in a California public toilet.
He publicly came out of the closet shortly after.
