Between Whitney Houston’s biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody, Elvis and the experience (for lack of a better word) that was Andrew Dominik’s Blonde, it’s starting to feel like Hollywood’s new beat is telling the stories (fictionalised or other) of its former legends.
When I first heard that an Amy Winehouse biopic was in the works, my first reaction was anxiety. Was it going to be as traumatizing as Blonde?
Amy Winehouse by no means led an easy life, but how far would BACK TO BLACK go? The thought of a biopic on her life also felt too soon, despite the anniversary of her passing being over a decade ago.
Still, I gave in and investigated. Here’s what we’re in for:
5 things to know about the Amy Winehouse biopic:
1. Marisa Abela will play Winehouse
Abela and Winehouse share similarities even when Abela isn’t dressed in Winehouse-esque makeup and that spitting image wardrobe. Both grew up in Southgate, London and both are Jewish.
Abela, deemed a rising star, beat out myriad other actresses for the role. She’s most known for her role in Industry and will also star in the Barbie movie set to debut in July 2023.
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2. The film’s writers wrote a critically claimed biopic before and you’ll never guess what the director is famous for
Sam Taylor-Johnson will call the shots as the director, and BACK TO BLACK’s writer, Matt Greenhalgh, was the pen behind Control, a critically acclaimed biopic that told the story of Iain Curtis.
While you might remember Taylor-Johnson for the film Nowhere Boy (a telling of John Lennon’s early life), she’s also known for a different subject matter—namely Fifty Shades of Grey.
3. Winehouse’s ex will get his own role
Set to be played by Ryan O’Doherty, Chris Taylor will get his own role. Anyone who loved her album Frank (or anyone who’s ever been through a breakup, at that) knows the song ‘Stronger Than Me’, which was about Taylor. However, how far into the relationship the film will go, is a mere matter of speculation at this point.
4. The film says it will tell Winehouse’s story from her eyes
According to the press release, BACK TO BLACK is “a journey that took [Winehouse] from the craziness and colour of 90’s Camden High Street to global adoration – and back again, BACK TO BLACK crashes through the looking glass of celebrity to watch this journey from behind the mirror, to see what Amy saw, to feel what she felt.”
Hopefully, this point of view is done in better taste than it was for Blonde.
5. The release date hasn’t been confirmed
Most bets are on the release happening in 2024, as production has only just kicked off.
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Feature Image: Focus Features
