Jimmie Nicol’s bizarre story has been written for film, and Roy Orbison’s son has secured the rights. The movie, The Beatle Who Vanished,  will be based on Jim Berkenstadt’s book that details Nicols replacing Ringo Star for 13 days over their 1964 tour, and what exactly happened after his quick rise to fame.

“The arc of Jimmie Nicol as a person and the overall ride of his intersection with that historic high point of what seemed to be the beginnings of Beatlemania,” Alex Orbison told Billboard.

Starr was hospitalized for tonsillitis and pharyngitis during the tour. Needing a replacement, manager Brian Epstein began holding auditions. After passing his audition, Nicol ended up playing 10 concerts in five venues. Nicol also made an appearance on a TV show in Holland, and at various press conferences.

Starr returned and Nicol was given a check for roughly $600, presented with a watch and then driven away to catch a flight home. He later played drums with Peter and Gordon, as well as a number of other local bands, before retiring to a private life away from the spotlight.

Orbison said he was intrigued by “the fact that Jimmie Nicol was invited behind the curtain and was a legit Beatle able to do interviews and get all the perks and just be in, and then to be dropped off back off at the airport. The second half of the story turns into a mystery. It seemed to have such a mass appeal.”

He’s making the Nicol film with Ashley Hamilton, son of actor George Hamilton and actress Alana Stewart.