Lizzo confirmed to play Sister Rosetta Tharpe in biopic
Lizzo has been confirmed to play pioneering musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the new biopic Rosetta for Amazon MGM Studios.
In addition to starring in the project, which is currently in the development stage, she will also serve as a producer on Rosetta alongside Kevin Beisler, Significant Productions’ Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker. The screenplay is being written by Natalie Chaidez and Kwynn Perry.
Tharpe, who died in 1973, was a trailblazing force in rock ‘n’ roll who made the musical genre possible to enter public consciousness. She inspired greats such as Little Richard and Chuck Berry, who inadvertently inspired acts like The Beatles who made it become the most popular type of music on the planet.
In recent years, there have been plentiful high-budget Hollywood biopics of musical greats such as Elvis Presley in Elvis, which featured Tharpe, who was played by Yola in the Baz Luhrmann movie.
Other artists whose tales have been told on the big screen include Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, and Elton John in Rocketman. Without Tharpe breaking new ground in the 1930s and ‘40s, it’s possible that none of those names had musical careers, therefore, a biopic feels appropriate.
Currently, there is no release date attached to the biopic, further information about when it’s likely to enter production and who will be joining Lizzo in the cast.
Lizzo has recently returned to the music industry following an 18-month hiatus, with a new album and world tour seemingly on the horizon; it’s unlikely that Rosetta will begin shooting in the near future. The singer made her comeback on March 13th in Los Angeles and subsequently has played further intimate shows in New York and Minneapolis.
At her first show back, she candidly spoke of her mental health struggles, remarking, “About a year and a half ago — it’s so hard for me to talk about — I was in such a dark, deep depression.”
The singer continued: “I was so heartbroken by the world and so deeply hurt that I didn’t want to live anymore, and I was so deeply afraid of people that I didn’t want to be seen. Eventually, I got over that fear.”
Never Miss A Scene
The Far Out Film Newsletter
All the latest film news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.