An Amy Winehouse Biopic Is Set to Begin Filming Next Year
A melodic powerhouse, that’s what she was. Well, that’s what the world knew her as, but what about who she really was? When it was all said and done and the curtains closed, behind the big hair and the winged eyeliner, who was Amy Winehouse? According to reports, an answer is finally being put to the question we’ve all been asking. Winehouse’s family recently signed a multi-million-dollar deal with Monumental Pictures to get the ball rolling on the Amy Winehouse biopic that will tell us all about the British singer-songwriter’s life.
Amy Winehouse first came into prominence in 2003, with her musical debut, Frank. Three years later, she released a follow-up album, titled Back to Black, which featured the critically acclaimed song, “Rehab,” and earned her five Grammys at the 2008 awards ceremony. Unfortunately, in 2011, her success was cut short at the age of 27, when Winehouse was found dead in her London home. Her death was later said to be caused by alcohol poisoning.
The impending biopic, produced by Monumental Pictures’ Alison Owens and Debra Hayward, is set to filming in 2019 and will be adapted by Kinky Boots screenwriter Geoff Deane. Winehouse’s family is in place to act as executive producers of the project.
Although her loved ones previously felt that “the time wasn’t right” for her life story to be brought to the big screen, they now feel differently.
When speaking about the Amy Winehouse biopic, the late performer’s father, Mitch, said in a statement, “We now feel able to celebrate Amy’s extraordinary life and talent, and we know, through the Amy Winehouse Foundation, that the true story of her illness can help so many others who might be experiencing similar issues.”
Casting has yet to be determined. While some suggested that singer-actress Lady Gaga would make a good fit to play the role of the “Stronger Than Me” vocalist, Mitch Winehouse thinks otherwise when it comes to who will be portraying his daughter.
“It wouldn’t be Lady Gaga. She doesn’t speak our kind of English. I wouldn’t mind betting it would be an unknown, young, English – London, cockney – actress who looks a bit like Amy,” he revealed to The Sun. “It’s obviously something that we are going to do, one hundred percent. What we want is somebody to portray Amy in the way that she was–the funny, brilliant, charming, and horrible person who she was. There’s no point really me making the film because I’m her dad, but to get the right people to do it, that’s very important, and we will.”
Monumental Pictures’ Alison Owens and and Debra Hayward added to that, expressing how honored they felt to be on board for the Amy Winehouse Biopic.
“We’re proud that Mitch Winehouse has entrusted us with the story of amazing Amy, an icon whose songs have provided the soundtrack to a generation,” they told the news outlet.
As of right now, the production is currently going unnamed. However, this is not the first attempt at getting Amy Winehouse’s story told. In 2015, the Asif Kapadia-directed Amy premiered in both the United Kingdom and United States. The documentary followed Winehouse’s struggle with substance abuse before and after fame and featured rare interviews and archive footage. Mitch Winehouse subsequently described the film as “preposterous” and stated that he felt it didn’t “represent him or Amy in a good way.”
This November, another Amy Winehouse documentary, coined Back to Black, will also be available on streaming platforms and DVD. It will center the making of her 2007 album under the same title.
Additionally, amid the news of the forthcoming Amy Winehouse biopic, Winehouse’s estate announced that a hologram of the deceased entertainer would be touring next year, alongside a live band. The sole purpose is to raise money for the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which works to “combat and prevent drug and alcohol abuse among young people, while also providing other services to disadvantaged youth.”
Are you ready for the Amy Winehouse biopic? Who do you think should play the icon?
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