KNAC.com has issued a new interview with QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Geoff Tate, conducted by Philthy Phil. The following is an excerpt from the interview:

Q: Where is this Mindcrime franchise, if you will, going? How much of the talk about a stage show or a movie reality and are you indeed working on any of that?

A: "Well there is a screenplay for Mindcrime and it was finished around Christmas time. Now it’s in the hands of our Hollywood agent who is shopping it around Hollywood. And just recently, about a month ago, we got the green light for the next phase of it. The movie business is completely different than the rock and roll business. When you make a record, you make it, and you put it out and there it is. With a movie, all these different people get involved; you have re-writes on the script, it goes all the way to production and there’s re-writes going on while they are shooting. So, we got the first phase, which means we have a company interested in making the film. It’s in their hands right now, we’re just kind of waiting around until another decision gets made."

Q: When you think about it, there really haven’t been that many rock and roll movies over the years, so when yours hits the big screen, you instantly become part of an elite group, and I guess that can be good or bad.

A: "Yeah, I think it’s all good really, you know, as long as somebody is interested in what you are doing, it’s all cool. If nobody cared at all then that wouldn’t be good."

Q: I don’t think you guys have to worry about that. The Queensrÿche flame is burning bright. But, it brings to mind, I know you’re busy working in the here and now, and you have plans for the movie, but where do you go from here musically? It seems like Mindcrime II is just an excellent cap to a stellar career, and if you wanted, you could say, 'our job is done' and you stop writing music as Queensrÿche. Maybe you and the band members do solo stuff, and you continue to tour and play the Queensrÿche catalogue... have you arrived at that kind of conclusion or will there be more Queensrÿche music in the future?

A: "We’re working on a new album right now. So no, it hasn’t been talked about (laughs) in that respect. It’s funny, as a band you never really know what we’re going to do next or what’s gonna happen. It’s all kind of a big, we get together and if we can sit in a room long enough to brain storm an idea out and we get rolling on something, Usually it bites and everybody gets involved and we take of from there. But there’s always this sort of trepidation, when you’ve done something, and it’s done and you know you are getting together to do something new…will you be able to do it, will be able to come up with something, there’s always that question on everybody’s mind. And with us, we always procrastinate, like we know we’ve got to do another record so we always find excuses why we can’t get together (laughs) kind of prolong the agony of having to actually sit there and come up with something. But about a month ago we got together and we started recording some stuff and it sounded interesting, so I think something ‘s gonna come from it."

Check out the full interview at this location.