AI Casts Kurt Cobain Biopic & Its Choices are Pretty Solid
Artificial intelligence has been an ongoing topic of conversation lately, especially when it comes to creating content. One of the most popular AI engines at the moment is ChatGPT, which has kicked out some very interesting content via requests from users. But what would happen if ChatGPT were asked to create and cast a Kurt Cobain biopic? Thanks to American Songwriter, we now know.
To begin with, the film would be called Smells Like Teen Spirit: The Kurt Cobain Story. The film would feature three acts. The first act would focus on Cobain’s tumultuous childhood and discovery of music. Its second act would focus on Nirvana’s exploding popularity, and the third act will chronicle Cobain’s tragic last days.
Now, as for the cast, ChatGPT had some interesting choices. Timothée Chalamet would play Cobain, while Saoirse Ronan would play Courtney Love. ChatGPT chose Bill Skarsgård to play Krist Novoselic and Joe Keery to play Dave Grohl.
Cobain’s parental figures have some significant star power, too. Frances McDormand was cast as his mother, Wendy O’Connor, while Josh Brolin was cast as his father, Don Cobain. Meanwhile, Cobain’s aunt/legal guardian, Kim, would be played by Amy Adams.
While we’re not terribly impressed with the biopic-by-numbers plot of this proposed film, we have to hand it to ChatGPT for putting together a great cast.
Kurt Cobain: 6 Pieces of Memorabilia That Sold Big at Auction
Kurt Cobain was born on February 20, 1967. While he was only on the Earth for 27 years, he left an impact that is still felt today.
Many musicians have talked about the impact of the late Nirvana frontman. Billie Joe Armstrong once said of Cobain, “When someone goes that honestly straight to the core of who they are, what they’re feeling, and was able to kind of put it out there, I don’t know, man, it’s amazing. I remember hearing it when ‘Nevermind’ came out and just thinking, we’ve finally got our Beatles, this era finally got our Beatles, and ever since then it’s never happened again.”
Patti Smith said in 1996 she was happy a generation of young people had Nirvana growing up. She noted, “I didn’t know anything about Kurt’s torments or personal life. I saw the work and the energy, and I was excited by that.”
Surprisingly, Cobain also has a lot of love from the rap community. Complex gathered quotes from some of the biggest rappers of all time about how much they admire Cobain. Jay Z likened Cobain to artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who also died at 27 and struggled with substance abuse.
The reach of Cobain has continued as Nirvana is always introduced to new generations. Dave Grohl said during an October 2023 appearance on Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, “What I’ve realized is that kids these days, there’s like a window between the ages of 10 and 13 or maybe 11 and 14, where almost every kid goes through a Nirvana phase.”
This impact is why when Cobain-related items go up for auction, they sell for massive price tags. In the past decade, Cobain memorabilia has seemingly become a subset of the entire celebrity auction market.
Want proof? Check out these six items that sold big at auction.
Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights
