Jeremy Allen White may be going from The Bear to The Boss. The sought-after star is currently circling Deliver Me From Nowhere, a project that would see him star as iconic rocker Bruce Springsteen. Deadline reports that former Netflix film head Scott Stuber is producing the film, and is currently in negotiations with A24 to distribute the project. An adaptation of Warren Zanes‘ book of the same name, which was published last year, the film is said to center around the production of Springsteen‘s acclaimed 1982 album Nebraska.

Although White has yet to begin negotiations for Deliver Me From Nowhere, he is said to be the top choice for the film’s coveted lead role. The film is slated to be directed by Scott Cooper, who has musical film bonafides thanks to his debut feature, Crazy Heart, which starred Jeff Bridges as an aging country musician in an Oscar-winning performance. Springsteen and his team are said to be actively involved with the project; Springsteen is no stranger to the film business, having contributed acclaimed tracks to films like Philadelphia, The Wrestler, and Dead Man Walking. The film is slated to shoot in Springsteen‘s native New Jersey this fall, presumably after White wraps filming on the third and fourth seasons of The Bear.

What Is ‘Nebraska’?

Springsteen‘s sixth studio album, Nebraska was recorded over several days in 1982; originally intended as stripped-down demos to be re-recorded later with his E Street Band, Springsteen liked the sound of the songs and released them as-is. Inspired by Howard Zinn‘s A People’s History of the United States, the songs on Nebraska are bleak and grim, telling tales of murder and desperation.

The title track tells the story of spree killer Charles Starkweather, which also influenced the 1973 Terence Malick film Badlands; other notable songs on the album include “Atlantic City”, “Johnny 99” and “Highway Patrolman.” Springsteen followed it up with Born in the USA, which had a more commercial sound and was accordingly an enormous sales success; nevertheless, its predecessor Nebraska is still held up by Springsteen aficionados and critics as one of his greatest albums, and one of the best rock albums of the 20th century.

Stuber, who departed Netflix last year in a surprising move, will produce Deliver Me From Nowhere with Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Eric Robinson. It will be White‘s first film project since his acclaimed turn as doomed professional wrestler Kerry Von Erich in last year’s The Iron Claw.

Deliver Me From Nowhere is expected to film later this year. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates, and watch Springsteen‘s live performance of the title track from Nebraska below. You can watch White in the first two seasons of The Bear on Hulu.

via Collider