Fresh off the massive global success of Michael, another music biopic is now moving ahead in Hollywood, but this one does not have the support of the artist at the center of the story. A new film focused on the early life of a legendary artist has officially found its director, even as the singer publicly distances himself from the project.
New Billy Joel biopic gets director
Billy & Me will be directed by editor and filmmaker John Ottman, whose recent work on the Michael Jackson biopic Michael helped shape one of the year’s biggest box office hits. That movie recently crossed $703 million worldwide, giving studios even more confidence in musician-led dramas (via Deadline).
The Billy Joel biopic will focus on the musician’s early years before he became a global superstar. Instead of telling the story directly from Joel’s perspective, the movie follows his first manager, Irwin Mazur, who discovered him in the 1960s and helped guide his career before “Piano Man” changed everything in 1973. Production is expected to begin later this year in New York and Winnipeg.
Ottman described the movie as “funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately very inspiring,” while Jon Small said the script captures “the friendships, struggles, humor, and creative spark” from Joel’s early rise to fame.
Billy Joel blasts new biopic
Unlike Michael, however, this Billy Joel movie is moving forward without the singer’s approval, music rights, or life rights. Joel’s representative strongly criticized the production in a statement to Variety, saying the filmmakers had already been informed they could not secure those rights. The statement added that any attempt to continue without authorization would be “legally and professionally misguided.”
The project also pulls heavily from Joel’s complicated personal life during that era. The story reportedly includes his friendship with drummer Jon Small, who serves as a consultant, co-executive producer and second unit director for the film.
