Another music biopic, anyone? Billy Joel film reportedly in the works
As Michael continues to dominate the box office, yet another musical biopic has been confirmed to be in the works, this time centred on Billy Joel.
Last year, Joel was the subject of a two-part HBO documentary titled Billy Joel: And So It Goes, which documented his entire career, and now, a dramatised version of events is reportedly in the works.
According to Variety, the upcoming biopic will be directed by John Ottman and has been given the title Billy & Me.
Rather than tell the full story of Joel’s career, it will instead focus on his early years, before he became one of the biggest artists in the world.
Reportedly, it will be told through the lens of Joel’s first manager, Irwin Mazur, who first became aware of the singer-songwriter in 1966, before guiding him through the early stages of his career until they parted ways in 1972.
Production is expected to begin later this year in Winnipeg and New York, with casting for the project currently underway, per the report.
While speaking to Rolling Stone in 2019, Joel previously distanced himself from a possible biopic, explaining that he doesn’t believe his life has been exciting enough to be told on the big screen.
He shared, “I don’t have enough objectivity to do that. I was gonna write an autobiography at one time — and I did. There wasn’t enough sex, drugs and rock & roll in it for the publisher, so I gave the advance money back. I said, ‘Fuck it, that’s me.’ I don’t know if I’m interesting enough to make a movie out of. I lived my life. I don’t want to be redundant.”
Previously, in 2022, it was reported that a film, titled Piano Man, about Joel’s career was in the works. However, a spokesperson for the singer distanced Joel from the project.
They told Variety that Joel “is not involved with this film project, and that no rights in music, name/likeness or life story will be granted.”
It has yet to be confirmed whether Joel is directly involved in Billy & Me.
If Billy & Me does come to fruition, it will be the latest in a long line of musical biopics that have been in cinemas in recent years, with everyone from Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen having their stories told on screen.
Upcoming biopics include Sam Mendes’ set of four films on The Beatles, which will focus on a different member of the Fab Four in each movie, as well as a long-awaited feature on the late Ozzy Osbourne’s life.
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