The upcoming film London Town tells the story of a Clash-obsessed teenager who crosses paths with Joe Strummer by happenstance in 1979 and finds his life changing as a result. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Match Point, Bend It Like Beckham) as the punk singer and Daniel Huttlestone (Into the Woods) as the teen, Shay.
The London Town trailer opens with Shay asking a fellow passenger on a train (played by Nell Williams) what shes listening to and discovering the Clash, leading them to a record store where she convinces him to dye his hair black like Strummers. It shows him rocking out in his bedroom, quarreling with his father and playing the only song he knows on a piano: White Riot. In one scene, Strummer asks him, So you fancy yourself a punk, do you?
This coming of age story is just a glimpse into a brief moment in the life of one young boy almost 40 years ago, set against the rise of punkand a backdrop of social political, and racial unrest that is incredibly similar and relevant to what we see happening in the world today, filmmaker Derrick Borte said in a statement. I made London Town to illuminate the power that music has to change your life.
The movies soundtrack features music by the Clash alongside Buzzcocks, the Stranglers, Toots and the Maytals, Willie Williams and Stiff Little Fingers. London Town is set toopen in theaters and be available on VOD and iTunes on October 7th.