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
• Joan Jett Talks Big Hits, Career Blows and Runaways Drama

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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