After telling the story of a teacher who ignited his students' passion for music in "Mr. Holland's Opus," director Stephen Herek may next tackle musical inspiration of a much louder kind.

The entertainment trade publication "Variety" reports that Herek has agreed to direct "Metal God," a film based on the story of Ripper Owens, the singer who was plucked from a Judas Priest cover band and chosen to replace original Priest frontman Rob Halford in the real deal.

"Variety" reports that Hollywood's fictionalized take on the heavy metal Cinderella story is being developed by George Clooney's Maysville Productions. The movie will reportedly start pre-production early next year (see [article id="1431837"]"Mark Wahlberg Weighing 'Metal' Role For Next Film"[/article]).

Herek's directing credits also include 1992's "The Mighty Ducks," 1993's adaptation of "The Three Musketeers," and the 1998 Eddie Murphy flick "Holy Man."