McQueen gets biopic

While it’s probably past due, a biopic focusing on the life of legendary actor Steve McQueen is in the works.

The epitome of old-school Hollywood cool (and a personal idol), McQueen was perhaps as well-known for his wild off-screen proclivities (motorcycles, cars, women, booze, drugs) as his celebrated roles in films like THE GREAT ESCAPE, PAPILLON, THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR, BULLITT, THE GETAWAY, THE TOWERING INFERNO and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN.

The movie will be based on Marshall Terrill’s recent book “Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel,” and will (obviously) chronicle both his Hollywood career and his notorious behavior. A director is expected to be announced shortly.

Filmmaker McG was recently working with McQueen’s son Chad to finally make the actor’s legacy project YUCATAN, about a gang of thieves seeking a stash of long-buried Mayan treasure.

(McQueen fans should also track down the documentary STEVE MCQUEEN: THE ESSENCE OF COOL, which was on the special edition DVD of BULLITT.)