Liam Neeson is teaming up with U2 frontman Bono for a film about an Irish singer in America. The Virgin of Las Vegas will be set around the world of showbands, the Irish pop culture craze from the early, pre-television rock'n'roll era, when covers bands attracted large followings. Neeson will star as an ageing singer boozing his time away in Las Vegas until he "finds his life turned on its head following the arrival of a mysterious stranger", according to Variety. Bono will have a producing role on the film, budgeted at $14m (£8.5m). The script is by Barry Devlin, a member of the Irish band Horslips.

Neeson has a busy schedule these days, with leading roles in the forthcoming remakes of Clash of the Titans and The A-Team, as well as the third Chronicles of Narnia film and the title role in Steven Spielberg's biopic, Lincoln.

Bono's other production credits include 1995's Miss Sarajevo documentary and Wim Wenders's The Million Dollar Hotel, in which he appeared. He also took a role in Julie Taymor's Beatles musical, Across the Universe and is currently collaborating with Taymor on a Broadway Spider-Man musical called Turn Off the Dark.

In the 50s and 60s, bands like the Clipper Carlton, the Dixies and the Royal played to packed houses throughout Ireland, using the country's extensive ballroom circuit. The scene survived the arrival of TV and it is estimated that up to 850 bands hit the road to tour. By the 70s, it had divided into pop, country, rock and folk scenes.

Irish production company, Parallel Pictures announced The Virgin of Las Vegas at Venice film festival, along with an adaptation of the Flann O'Brien novel, At Swim Two-Birds, which will be the actor Brendan Gleeson's directorial debut. Irish stars Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy and Gabriel Byrne are attached to the project.