A new biopic about the rise and fall of Amy Winehouse has reportedly commenced development, four years after the film was first announced. The upcoming flick titled “Back to Black” is being directed by “Fifty Shades of Grey” director Sam Taylor-Johnson, according to Deadline, who further adds that the project is now said to be “moving together quickly.”
Matt Greenhalgh has been hired to write the script, which will tell the story of the “Rehab” singer’s life as one of the most sought-after jazz singers of her time, her upbringing in North London, and the global success that came with the release of her sophomore album, “Back to Black,” in 2006.
Who would you like to see play Amy Winehouse in the late singer’s upcoming biopic, ‘Back To Black’? pic.twitter.com/fpthEbFe71
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) July 11, 2022
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The record, which was produced by Mark Ronson and frequent Nas collaborator Salaam Remi, went on to scoop five Grammys at the 2008 Academy Awards and sell over 16 million copies worldwide, while spanning multiple smash hits including “Tears Dry On Their Own,” “Love Is A Losing Game,” and “You Know I’m No Good.”
Unsurprisingly, the biopic is also expected to tackle Amy’s struggle with substance abuse, which consequently wreaked havoc on her personal life — particularly her relationship with then-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, to whom she was married to from 2007 to 2009. The 40-year-old was also said to have been the inspiration behind most of the songs featured on Amy’s second album.
In 2011, the award-winning chart-topper passed away at the age of 27 from alcohol poisoning, which has since seen a bunch of biopics being released about Amy’s life. But the upcoming motion picture involving Sam is bound to be the biggest one yet.
In 2015, A24 put out their documentary “Amy,” which won Best Documentary at the Oscars. By 2017, there were discussions that Noomi Rapace had signed on to star in another film about the “What Is It About Men?” singer with Lotus Entertainment, with Kristen Sheridan jumping on board to direct the project, though it never ended up moving forward as planned.
In October 2018, it was announced that the Winehouse family had signed off on a deal with Monumental Pictures for a biopic which Geoff Deane was set to write the script for, while Alison Owen and Debra Hayward were named as the film’s producers. Four years later, however, the team has been revised, with StudioCanal now leading the production side of things, and Sam as the project’s director.
The Winehouse estate, alongside Amy’s family, are believed to have given their blessing and support for the movie, with casting directors beginning their search for an actress that can play the jazz vocalist in the coming weeks.