A Controversial Singer Is The Subject Of New Biopic
Sam-Taylor Johnson, who directed Fifty Shades of Grey, is set to take on a brand-new feature that will tackle the life of a controversial singer.
There seems to be a wave of biopics happening that are covering some of the most influential musicians of our generation and past generations. The newest happens to be one of the most controversial. It has been announced that the director of the Fifty Shades of Grey film is going to be taking on the biopic that will cover the life of Amy Winehouse. Winehouse has been a renowned singer, though she constantly battled with alcohol and drug addiction. She sadly passed away in 2011 at the age of 27 due to alcohol poisoning.
The biopic is set to be called Back to Black, which is the name of the second album released by Amy Winehouse. The album would go on to land the singer massive success. It became one of the best-selling albums in UK history, and landed her five Grammys, tying the record for the most wins for a female artist in one night. Three of those Grammys are part of the General Field “Big Four” Grammy Awards, which include Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year. She won the latter for “Rehab” which was a smash hit. When she passed away, Back to Black became the UK’s best-selling album of the 21st century.
Amy Winehouse was heavily influenced by jazz at an early age, which led to her initial album Frank, being lauded for its blending of that genre along with sounds of soul and rhythm and blues. Her contralto vocals were one of her most shining elements, along with her constant eclectic genre-blending. Frank had been nominated for a Mercury Prize and her song “Stronger Than Me” landed her Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song. She would go on to win that same award for “Rehab” off her follow-up album, Back to Black. She became one of the most influential singers and songwriters in the UK.
Although Amy Winehouse had a short-lived career that spanned two albums, both of those albums became instantly influential. She would go on to posthumously become one of the most beloved singers in the 21st century. Most of the biopics that have been made thus far have covered musicians that have lived some years ago or have had decades of influence, i.e., Elton John. This just goes to show how important Winehouse was as a contemporary artist.
The biopic about Amy Winehouse is clearly in good hands, as Sam Taylor-Johnson is set to direct the feature. Apart from directing the first Fifty Shades of Grey film, Johnson has also directed several music videos. She has worked with the previously mentioned Elton John, The Weeknd, and R.E.M. Johnson clearly has the resume to handle tackling the life of Winehouse.
Back to Black has only been announced, so it is likely we are going to have to wait a bit of time before the biopic is released. We are more than interested to see who is going to be cast in the titular role of Amy Winehouse. Look out for casting announcements for the film in the coming weeks.
