Scottish author Irvine Welsh, best known for writing the original novel ‘Trainspotting’ in 1993 , has teamed up with screenwriter Dean Cavanagh to write a biopic based on the life of famous Ibiza hotelier Tony Pike reports the Hollywood media Deadline, which specializes in film, television and theater news.
Pike, who died of cancer in 2019, rose to fame in the early 1980s after founding the Pikes Hotel in Ibiza. The establishment, which occupied an old rural house, quickly became a hedonistic paradise for celebrities and musicians. Frequent visitors included Freddie Mercury, Princess Margaret and George Michael, who filmed the music video for Wham!’s ‘Club Tropicana’ at the hotel. Pike also has a cameo in the video. Pike’s appetite for the party life led to Boy George to dub him the ‘Hugh Hefner of Ibiza’[]something the hotelier often tried to downplay. “There’s a big difference between me and Hugh Hefner in the sense that he has used women to make money,” Pike told a local media outlet in 2017. “I’ve always loved and respected women, treated them very well and never done anything wrong to them.”
Producers told us that the film will delve into Pike’s journey on the island, his hedonism without complexes and the indelible mark he left on the island’s music and nightlife scene.
“Tony Pike was larger than life,” Welsh assured Deadline. “His story isn’t just about the construction of one of the most iconic hotels in the worldbut of the hedonism, heartbreak and relentless passion that defined an entire era. Dean and I have put all our efforts into making this script a fitting tribute to the man and the legend.”
Ian Jefferies (‘Choose Irvine Welsh’), Bill Chamberlain (‘Tell Me I Love You’) and Zach Rothwell (‘The Angel of Auschwitz’) will serve as producers. Casting is underway and a director has not yet been chosen. The project is currently in pre-production.
Rothwell added that, “Pikes will personify the ibiza’s raw, unfiltered glamourthat made the island legendary. We are assembling a team of world-class talent to ensure that we honor Tony’s legacy while delivering an unforgettable cinematic experience.”
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