As it gets closer to the 40th anniversary of the Ramones’ first record’s release, various projects honoring the band are being developed , including a film that will be directed by the award-winning Martin Scorsese.
For years, the estate of the Ramones has been divided, with Linda Ramone controlling Johnny’s half of the legacy and lead singer Joey’s brother Mickey managing the other half as reported by Billboard. However, a little more than a month after the death of Tommy Ramone, the last Ramone who was still living, it appears the estate is finally united.
One of the co-managers of the Ramones’ estate Jeff Jampol spoke of the estate’s solidarity, saying to Billboard that , “We’re all gonna focus on the Ramones, and it’s that whole thing of, ‘United we stand, divided we fall.’ The legacy is the Ramones, the music is the Ramones, it was the four of them – it was Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee and Tommy, and everybody is cooperating and moving in one direction together as a team.”
Currently, the entire estate is dedicated to celebrating the punk rock band, and the group will be memorialized in a number of upcoming projects in honor of the 2016 anniversary. According to Billboard, the estate is not only working on creating new merchandise for fans but is also working on a book and a documentary, which will use never-before-seen footage of the Ramones on the road during the 70s and 80s.
Martin Scorsese, who is well known for films such as Raging Bull and The Wolf of Wall Street, is adding the Ramones film to the pile of projects he is committed to according to Rolling Stone. This pile includes projects such as a biopic of Frank Sinatra and a television adaptation of Gangs of New York.
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