Alessandra Torresani Cast As Lita Ford in "The Runaways" Biopic

The Runaways, the upcoming biopic based on the all-girl punk band the Runaways, has filled out the cast of the film, giving the role of guitarist Lita Ford to actress Alessandra Torresani, MTV reports. Previously, New Moon's Kristen Stewart was cast as Joan Jett and her Twilight sequel castmate Dakota Fanning will star as the band's 16-year-old singer Cherie Currie.

Actress Stella Maeve, who IMDB says appeared in a pair of Gossip Girl episodes, will play Runaways' drummer Sandy West, who passed away in 2006 following a brain tumor. While the group was primarily a quartet, the Runaways' bassist slot was pretty much a Spinal Tap-esque revolving door, with five girls filling the role over the course of 1975 to 1979.

Torresani, a child actor who's mainly been cast for television roles, said of being picked to portray Ford, "She's the most incredible woman. I'm getting to meet her very soon, so that'll be amazing. I'll get to hear all her old stories." After leaving the Runaways, the brainchild of producer Kim Fowley, Ford embarked on a successful solo career and carved a niche as something of a heavy metal sex symbol in the 1980s.

The Runaways will be written and directed by music video veteran Floria Sigismondi, who previously videos for David Bowie, Marilyn Manson ("The Beautiful People"), the White Stripes, Christina Aguilera and many more. The film is due in theatres 2010, with filming set to begin next week. "I learn the guitar starting [Monday], so that'll be interesting. I'm very nervous about it," Torresani told MTV about how much time she'll get to learn how act with her instrument.

Related Stories:

• "Twilight" Star Kristen Stewart Cast As Joan Jett For Runaways Flick
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Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

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