Meryl Streep confirmed for new Joni Mitchell biopic
Meryl Streep has reportedly been confirmed to play an older version of Joni Mitchell in Cameron Crowe’s upcoming biopic.
Rumours have been swirling for many months that Mitchell is set to be played by Streep and Anya Taylor-Joy, who will reportedly portray Mitchell during her younger days, but now have seemingly been confirmed.
According to Rolling Stone, record executive Clive Davis confirmed the speculation linking Streep to the film to be true at his pre-Grammys party this weekend.
The Grammys were a momentous night for Mitchell on February 1st. She was awarded ‘Best Historical Album’ for Joni Mitchell Archives – Volume 4: The Asylum Years (1976-1980), which marked the 11th Grammy victory of her career.
During her speech, Mitchell poignantly reflected on that time in her career, “I had to make a transition for survival from folk music, which was killed by the British Invasion. David Crosby was afraid that they were going to slap some kind of band on me and that it would ruin my music.”
In regards to the biopic, the project was first announced by Crowe in 2023 and has been in the developmental stage for close to three years.
In an interview with The Guardian in October, Crowe provided an update on the movie, confirming, “We start next year. It’s Joni Mitchell’s story from her point of view, and it’s been a delight because her music is already so cinematic.”
Crowe also shared the trope that he finds that directors often get wrong when it comes to music biopics, stating, “Most biopics about musicians are scary because they are usually so solemn and Wikipedia-like.”
In a previous interview with Ultimate Classic Rock in 2024, Crowe shared an insight into what to expect from his film on Mitchell’s life and career, saying, “You know, similarly to Heartbreakers Beach Party, it’s Joni’s life, not through anybody else’s prism. It’s through her prism. It’s the characters who impacted her life that you know and a lot that you don’t know. And the music is so cinematic.”
The official casting of Streep as Mitchell remains yet to be confirmed by either of the individuals or Crowe.
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