All articles tagged with #biopic
Billy Joel has not authorized or supported the film Billy and Me, a pre-Piano Man biopic directed by John Ottman and shaped in part by his former manager Irwin Mazur’s perspective; despite ongoing casting and Joel’s drummer Jon Small’s involvement as a consultant, his representatives say proceeding without consent would be legally and professionally misguided, with the project focusing on the Hassles era and early songs.
Rolling Stone reports Billy Joel’s representative has not authorized or supported the Billy & Me biopic. The film, directed by John Ottman and framed around Joel’s early life via his first manager Irwin Mazur, faces music-rights hurdles and will reportedly not use Joel’s songs as it unfolds before his breakthrough. Joel’s camp says moving forward without life rights would be legally and professionally misguided, while Mahur’s perspective and other rights holders are involved; production is slated for fall 2026 in Canada and New York.
Variety reports that Irwin Mazur’s and Jon Small’s life rights have been secured for the Billy & Me biopic, but Billy Joel’s life rights and music rights are not owned or authorized, and Joel has not endorsed the project. Production is planned for this fall in Winnipeg and New York, with Adam Ripp writing and John Ottman directing; the film will be told from Mazur and Small’s perspective. Joel’s reps say pursuing the project without his authorization would be legally and professionally misguided, while financing is being arranged by Jay Cohen and Mitchell Leib serves as executive music producer.
Billy Joel has warned against an upcoming film about his early years, saying the project lacks his life rights and music rights and would be legally and professionally misguided to proceed without his approval; the film centers on people around him, not Joel himself, with producers referencing life rights from his former manager and a former bandmate.
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael led the South Korean box office for the May 15–17 weekend, taking about $3.6 million from 470,375 admissions for a 51.0% market share and pushing its local total to $4.8 million from 647,916 admissions since its May 13 launch; other top titles included The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Salmokji: Whispering Water, with the weekend box office totaling around $6.8 million as the market recovers.
Michael remains the worldwide box office leader with a running total of about $703.8–704 million after an $83.8 million weekend (domestic $26.1 million, international $57.7 million) across 83 markets, while The Devil Wears Prada 2 has crossed $500 million globally, reaching about $546.2 million (roughly $175.9 million domestic and $370.3 million international). IMAX contributed around $5.2 million to Michael’s weekend, Korea opened strong at $4.9 million on Culture Day, and Michael continues to dominate key territories like France, the UK & Ireland, and Germany as the Prada sequel remains a major global release.
A24-backed biopic Tony follows 19-year-old Tony Bourdain during a transformative 1975 summer in Provincetown, with Dominic Sessa leading as the young writer-chef; directed by Matt Johnson, the film portrays the early kitchen days and Tony’s love-hate relationship with restaurants, not a standard life montage, with Emilia Jones, Dagmara Dominczyk, Rich Sommers, Stavros Halkias, Leo Woodall, and Antonio Banderas in the cast, and a release this August.
Deadline reports Lionsgate’s Michael crossing $300M worldwide, becoming the No. 2 musical biopic ever (behind Bohemian Rhapsody) after a strong overseas start of $218.8M and a domestic tally of about $129.8M, with the global total near $299–300M and a projected second weekend of roughly $45M.
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael is a glossy, crowd-pleasing musical that recreates MJ’s greatest hits with blockbuster energy and IMAX-ready spectacle, anchored by Jaafar Jackson’s uncanny performance, but it sanitizes the star’s darker side and avoids addressing serious allegations, ending on a sequel tease and delivering a glossy ride more than a probing biography.
Dan Reed, director of Leaving Neverland, criticizes the Michael biopic for distorting the truth and portraying accusers as liars, arguing it omits context about Jackson’s alleged predatory behavior, while the film has posted strong global box office.
Lionsgate's Michael, a Michael Jackson biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua, opened to about $97.2 million domestic and $121.6 million internationally for a global debut around $218.8 million, signaling a new precedent for biopics. The film benefits from Jackson's worldwide appeal, strong audience reaction (97% positive), and an A- CinemaScore, even as critics were mixed and controversy drew extra publicity.
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael opened to a record $97.2 million domestic and $121.6 million overseas, for a global launch of about $218.8 million—the biggest domestic bow for any biopic and the top worldwide opening for a music biopic. The film benefited from broad audience appeal and strong word-of-mouth despite mixed reviews, and comes with a reported $200 million budget; Universal handles international release (with Japan absent from the rollout) after production delays tied to abuse-allegation concerns.
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael opened to $97 million domestic and $217 million worldwide, the biggest debut for a musical biopic, buoyed by audience enthusiasm and big-screen concert moments despite mostly tepid reviews and significant production headaches. Strong Imax performance and a nostalgia-driven, communal theater experience helped Lionsgate post a record-box-office weekend and signal potential sequels.
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael opened to $217 million worldwide—$97 million in the US and $120 million overseas—marking the biggest debut for a musical biopic despite largely negative reviews, with the Jackson Estate co-producing and investing over $150 million. The film covers Jackson’s life up to 1988, faced legal/ethical scrutiny over depicting accusers, and a sequel could follow if the box office remains strong, while US distribution is handled by Lionsgate and most of the world by Universal (Japan will get a local release in June).
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael opened to a $97M domestic and $120.4M international debut, pushing its global total to $217M and setting a new record for the largest opening by a music biopic. Production faced turmoil—including a costly third-act revision tied to the 1994 Jordan Chandler settlement—yet audiences drove the worldwide take well beyond expectations while critics gave mixed reviews. Lionsgate is pursuing sequels, and a Japan release is planned later; the film’s reception contrasts with the dismal critical score despite strong audience interest.