Green Day chose to play minor background roles in Nimrods, a coming-of-age road-trip comedy inspired by their music and experiences, rather than making themselves the central characters. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong said the approach was influenced by cult music films and allowed the band’s songs to shape the story without creating a conventional biopic.

The film follows three friends who travel across America after being tricked into believing their band will open for Green Day at a New Year’s Eve concert. Director Lee Kirk incorporated stories from the band’s early touring years as references throughout the film; Armstrong, Tré Cool and Mike Dirnt appear as themselves during the finale, while Mason Thames, Kylr Coffman and Ryan Foust lead the cast. Nimrods is due in cinemas on Friday.