Simon Cowell Takes On American Idol-Style Movie, Star Struck!

Simon gives the "carry on" to Star Struck, which will, thankfully, include him verbally abusing singing hopefuls.

I really think Simon should just call this American Idol: The Movie and stop comparing it to Fame. What could be better than American Idol: The Movie, anyway?

Simon Cowell took time away from producing X-Factor, America’s Got Talent and American Inventor (and Idol’s starting soon, right?) to take on a movie project, Star Struck. Not too catchy if you ask me, but the premise sounds pretty fool-proof (and pretty familiar): Ten young, aspiring singers enter a reality TV singing competition and crazy drama ensues.

More on the reality-show-turned-movie after the jump!

I'm trying to imagine this...but scripted...and without countless commercial breaks...Sounds great!

For some reason, Simon calls his movie a modern-day Fame, not a staged, two-hour American Idol episode.

"Fame was all about young people wanting to be famous, and in order to do that, they enrolled in a drama school," Cowell told Hollywood Reporter. "The difference 25 years later is that everyone who wants to be famous today signs up for American Idol."

Simon signed off on British TV writer Jonathan Harvey’s summary of the movie on Wednesday (maybe he's not as involved as I thought), and the movie's set for a summer 2008 release.

And to make it even more like American Idol, producers (with Simon there to judge) will hold open-call auditions in eight cities to cast the film. The movie will also include the best of audition footage.

If this is supposed to be a movie and not a documentary, I don’t really think we should be seeing the auditions, but I guess that’s why everyone loves Idol so much. Simon certainly knows what sells.