Clapton to join Stones' pool party

The Wild and Wycked World of Brian Jones tells the life story of the Rolling Stones' guitarist, who drowned in his Sussex swimming pool on the night of 2 July, 1969. The cast is yet to be confirmed, but a score by Eric Clapton is rumoured.

What is certain is that it will not be a complete nostalgia trip. "There's no point in making a historical movie unless you're going to right a wrong," says Woolley, who wants to banish the widespread belief that Jones was so stoned that he just fell in his pool and sank. According to Woolley's version of events, the one who did the pushing was Frank Thoroughgood, an East End builder who was working on Jones's house, and who allegedly confessed just before his own death in 1993.

First in line for the part of Jones is Tom Hardy, the young actor who was Picard's evil clone in the last Star Trek movie. Woolley is also looking for a big-name actress to play Anita Pallenberg, lover of Brian (and other Stones).

But Mick Jagger and Keith Richards will be played by unknowns, for the simple reason that "before Mick started prancing round the stage, it really was Brian everyone went to see".

Woolley shares Jones's musical taste: original R&B and some of the first world music ever heard in the UK, after Jones recorded the Pipes of Pan on a hippie trip to Morocco. These are the sounds we can expect on the film, says Woolley. He is not sure whether he will use actual Stones numbers, though, and

plans to get around some of the copyright issues by getting contemporary bands to re-record hits such as Little Red Rooster (by Willie Dixon) and Not Fade Away (written by Buddy Holly).

In fact, the first-time director hasn't told the Stones about the film yet. "I need to know I'm completely there with the movie before I call them," he says.

That promises to be an interesting conversation ...