At the beginning of the 80s of the last century, Bruce Springsteen was at the top, and after the record The River, everyone expected more spectacular rock hits from him. Instead, the American singer released a chamber album of dark songs that he recorded alone at home in his bedroom. The story of the creation of the recording called Nebraska is told in a new Hollywood feature film, in which Springsteen will be portrayed by Jeremy Allen White.
As the DPA agency writes, the film will be called Deliver Me from Nowhere and is based on the motifs of last year’s book of the same name by journalist Warren Zanes. It will hit theaters next year. The crew started filming last week and on this occasion the makers released the first photo. It shows how the 33-year-old Jeremy Allen White, known from the TV series The Bear, looks like in the main role of Bruce Springsteen.
In the picture, he is slightly disheveled, with his head bowed, a flannel shirt and his hands hidden in the pockets of a leather jacket, as the musician often did, the British newspaper Guardian describes.
Fifty-four-year-old Scott Cooper, who already has experience with the genre of musical films, will take over the direction. In 2009, he filmed Crazy Heart with actor Jeff Bridges, who won an Oscar for his portrayal of the embittered country singer.
The 75-year-old Bruce Springsteen himself is collaborating on the new album. His mentor and long-time manager Jon Landau will be played by Jeremy Strong, known from the series Struggle for Power, other roles will be taken by Paul Walter Hauser, Odessa Young or Johnny Cannizzaro, the DPA agency adds. The film is produced by 20th Century Studios, owned by the Walt Disney Company.
On the 1982 album Nebraska, Bruce Springsteen sang about ordinary Americans, dreamers, outsiders and criminals with no future ahead of them. While his previous music sounded grand, upbeat and energetic, Nebraska had a dark undertone and brooding mood that earned Springsteen comparisons to singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie or writer John Steinbeck.
The album has sold over a million copies and is still one of the singer’s best-selling albums. Rolling Stone magazine listed it as one of the best albums of all time.
Springsteen originally recorded the songs as demos on a four-track cassette tape recorder, which allowed him to add three additional basic tracks with electric guitar or harmonica. With his band E Street Band, he then tried to give full-fledged arrangements to the songs in the recording studio.
But he and producer Landau decided that the songs were too personal and that a rough, raw form suited them better. They therefore decided to release the entire tape unadorned as Springsteen delivered it. “It’s quite a miracle that the tape survived. I carried it around for weeks without the box, just in my pocket,” the singer told Rolling Stone magazine.
According to the author of the book, Warren Zanes, Nebraska holds the key to understanding Springsteen. “It reflected the confusion and mood across America, but it also hinted at problems in the singer’s life and started his mental breakdown, which he spoke about openly decades later,” Zanes said.
Bruce Springsteen released the songs that he worked on in the studio with the E Street Band on that occasion two years later on his next hit and rock album, Born in the USA
The film about Bruce Springsteen will be released in cinemas in the year when the 75-year-old singer and his band E Street Band will also perform in Prague. He was supposed to perform already this year, but due to problems with his vocal cords, he postponed the performance to June 15, 2025.
Most recently, last week, the Disney+ video library launched the documentary film Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, which looks precisely behind the scenes of the current tour.
At the same time, Springsteen endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris at a campaign rally in Georgia. “She’s running to be the 47th president of the United States. Donald Trump is running a campaign to be America’s tyrant,” Springsteen said on stage.
The rocker from New Jersey, USA released his first studio album called Greetings From Asbury Park in 1973. Since then he has sold over 140 million records worldwide. He won 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Oscar for best film song Streets of Philadelphia or a Tony Theater Award thanks to a Broadway show about his life and work. Already in 1999, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Video: Bruce Springsteen sings Nebraska
Title track Nebraska from Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 album. | Video: Columbia Records
Es later. The album’s stark, raw sound coupled with its poignant lyrics depicts the struggles of everyday Americans and resonates with themes of isolation and despair,” Zanes noted.
The upcoming film about Springsteen’s life and the making of the Nebraska album seems poised to explore not just the musical journey but the emotional landscape of a man navigating fame, identity, and personal challenges. With Jeremy Strong portraying his mentor Jon Landau, audiences can expect a profound narrative that intertwines the artist’s personal and professional experiences. The involvement of Paul Walter Hauser, Odessa Young, and Johnny Cannizzaro in supporting roles could add further depth to this cinematic portrayal.
Given the significance of Nebraska in Springsteen’s catalog and its cultural impact, this film may serve not only as a biopic but as a reflection on the broader American experience during a turbulent era. As it highlights the artist’s introspective songwriting and the raw authenticity that defines his music, it promises to be a compelling watch for fans and new audiences alike.
As anticipation builds for both the film and any upcoming music releases from Springsteen, it’s clear that his legacy continues to evolve and resonate, touching on the themes that have defined his career since the early days of his musical journey.