Music

Tom DeLonge is directing a movie

by Luke Ottenhof

The dissolution of Blink-182’s long-running, iconic lineup is one of the great modern examples of 21st century band break-ups. It went from an announcement stating that frontman/guitarist Tom DeLonge quit the band, to DeLonge taking to Facebook to refute those claims and protest that he had been kicked out, to a series of back–and–forth shots between DeLonge and remaining members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.

But DeLonge, the guy who penned a song about sodomizing a dog, is onto more prestigious and important projects now. Like making a movie about his two biggest passions: aliens and skateboarding.

DeLonge has been working on a film adaptation of Strange Times, a novel series relating tales of rebellious skate punks in San Diego who find themselves wrapped up in some pretty intense alien-hunting shit (it’d probably be too autobiographical if they also played in a pop-punk band).

Hesays Strange Times is about “the tribe of broken youth and the restless spirit that inspired me to form Blink-182 and seek out adventure,” per The Hollywood Reporter. “I grew up in Southern California as a disaffected young skateboarder who broke the occasional law or five, and I was always… obsessively looking for the more unusual and imaginative experiences that life has to offer.” Like trying to team up with Hillary Clinton’s campaign to hunt UFOs.

DeLonge’s band Angels & Airwaves will also soundtrack the movie, which is set to start production this fall. In the meantime, if you were missing DeLonge’s velvety, dulcet vocals on Blink’s 2016 record California, you can check out a beautiful fan-made, DeLonge-inspired reimagining of lead single “Bored To Death” below.