The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse—the supremely talented singer-songwriter who went from being a rising star on London’s jazz scene to a six-time Grammy-winning, Halloween costume-inspiring superstar before passing away from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27—has already been told in a few different formats. There was 2015’s Amy, Asif Kapadia’s sweeping, Oscar-winning documentary; 2018’s Amy Winehouse: Back to Black, Jeremy Marre’s in-depth look at the making of the titular album; and 2021’s Marina Parker-helmed Reclaiming Amy, in which her friends and family reflect on her life and legacy. But now, the tragic tale of her stratospheric rise and subsequent fall is set to get the big-screen treatment in a major new Hollywood biopic.
On July 11, Deadline broke the news that the film, which has been in the works since 2018, would now be moving forward, with StudioCanal producing. Titled Back to Black, it will see Sam Taylor-Johnson, the BAFTA-nominated director behind Nowhere Boy and Fifty Shades of Grey, who was a close friend of Winehouse’s, take the lead behind the camera. Meanwhile, the script has been penned by Matt Greenhalgh, whose previous credits include both Nowhere Boy, an account of John Lennon’s teenage years, and Control, which follows Joy Division’s Ian Curtis—a track record which bodes well for the upcoming release.
It’s also crucial to note that the film is being made with the full support of the Amy Winehouse estate, which includes the musician’s father, Mitch, who faced criticism for his perceived role in his daughter’s downfall following the release of Kapadia’s documentary. This decision means that Taylor-Johnson will likely have permission to delve into Winehouse’s sensational back catalogue, but also raises questions about how sympathetically her family could be portrayed. Will the biopic focus on the latter half of her career and chart-topping second album, as the title suggests, or will it explore her childhood, too? And will it be more preoccupied with her musical successes or her struggles with substance abuse and destructive relationships?
However, there’s another question that we’re even more eager to know the answer to: Who on earth will play the tattooed, beehived, cat-eyed singer? Per Deadline, Taylor-Johnson’s search will begin in the coming weeks, and it’s not yet clear whether the studio would prefer a big name or a fresh face. Back in 2015, Noomi Rapace was attached to play Winehouse in a project that was ultimately shelved, and in 2018, Lady Gaga was among those touted for the part.
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