Green Day-inspired Nimrods is a chaotic road trip comedy that lands the band's cameo perfectly
The film, which premiered at last year's Toronto International Film Festival, follows three teenage bandmates on a cross-country journey after believing they've scored an opening slot for Green Day.
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Nimrods, a Green Day-inspired road trip comedy, is now playing in theatres after premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.
Written and directed by Lee Kirk, who cast Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong in his 2016 film Ordinary World, the movie follows three teenage bandmates from Kansas City who pile into a van convinced they've landed a dream gig opening for Green Day at the Hollywood Palladium on New Year's Eve. The prank — orchestrated by one of their older brothers — sends them on a cross-country journey filled with stupidity and misadventure.
The band's three members — Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool — make cameo appearances, and the soundtrack is packed with Green Day's biggest songs. "Brain Stew" accompanies a bizarre encounter involving a head in a jar, while "Bobby Sox" plays after the lead character meets a love interest named Olivia (a nod to an unreleased Green Day song fans have long referenced).
Nimrods is not a biopic. It's a fictional coming-of-age story that draws inspiration from real moments in Green Day's history. The ice cream truck is inspired by the 1993 bookmobile the band toured in when they were young. The strange "Sleepy" head-in-a-jar story came from a real incident in Germany.
The cast includes Mason Thames (Tommy), Kylr Coffman (Fred) and Ryan Foust (Chad) as the band members, with Keegan-Michael Key as the older brother pulling the prank. Jenna Fischer, Bobby Lee, Fred Armisen, Angela Kinsey, Jolene Blalock and Ignacio Diaz-Silverio round out the ensemble. Two Analog Dogs songs were written by Armstrong's son, Jakob, and rising rock band The Paradox makes a cameo. Thousands of Green Day fans served as extras for concert scenes at the Palladium.
The details
Who directed Nimrods?
Lee Kirk wrote and directed Nimrods. Kirk previously cast Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong in his 2016 film Ordinary World.
Where does the story take the band members?
Three teenage bandmates from Kansas City travel cross-country in a van, believing they've landed an opening slot for Green Day at the Hollywood Palladium on New Year's Eve.
Which Green Day members appear in the film?
Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool make cameo appearances in Nimrods.
