Rock The Kasbah is about a washed-up music manager Richie Lanz (the inimitable Bill Murray) looking for a way out of an extended career slump. So he takes a gig as a talent scout for Afghan Star, Afghanistan’s version of American Idol, and is joined by Zooey Deschanel, who plays a pop star. It looks like she might not last very long on their trying journey, but Murray finds the voice he has been looking for his whole life — except the woman behind it is prevented by law from singing. It also features Kate Hudson and Bruce Willis.
Directed by Barry Levinson (Wag the Dog, Bugsy), Rock The Kasbah looks a bit like a mashup of Lost In Translation and Almost Famous — which both Deschanel and Hudson starred in. According to Yahoo Movies, during a recent surprise appearance at Comic-Con, Murray said he drew inspiration from Van Morrison’s real life tour manager, who he called a “pathological liar…a wonderful guy.”
Sounds like Richie Lanz is right up Murray’s alley. Rock The Kasbah opens on October 23.