Industry‘s Marisa Abela has been cast as Amy Winehouse in the biopic Back to Black. The film has the blessing of Amy Winehouse’s estate and will be directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) from a screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh. Taylor-Johnson and Greenhalgh previously worked together on 2009’s Nowhere Boy.
Filming is expected to kick off in London on Monday, January 16, 2023. Studiocanal, Focus Features, and Monumental Pictures are working together on the project.
“We are thrilled that Studiocanal, Focus Features, and Monumental are making this movie celebrating our daughter Amy’s extraordinary music legacy and showcasing her talent in the way that it deserves.” – The Amy Winehouse Estate.
Back to Black will feature Winehouse’s hits and has the support of Universal Music Group and Sony Music Publishing.
“My connection to Amy began when I left college and was hanging out in the creatively diverse London borough of Camden. I got a job at the legendary KOKO CLUB, and I can still breathe every market stall, vintage shop and street… A few years later Amy wrote her searingly honest songs whilst living in Camden. Like with me, it became part of her DNA,” said Taylor-Johnson.
Taylor-Johnson added: “I first saw her perform at a talent show at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in Soho and it was immediately obvious she wasn’t just ’talent’… she was genius. As a filmmaker, you can’t really ask for more. I feel excited and humbled to have this opportunity to realize Amy’s beautifully unique and tragic story to cinema accompanied by the most important part of her legacy – her music. I am fully aware of the responsibility, with my writing collaborator – Matt Greenhalgh – I will create a movie that we will all love and cherish forever. Just like we do Amy.”
Taylor-Johnson will also serve as an executive producer along with Nicky Kentish-Barnes, Joe Naftalin, and Rn Halpern. Monumental Pictures’ Alison Owen and Debra Hayward will serve as producers.
“Amy Winehouse is the greatest musical talent of the 21st century so far. But like so many female icons, the tragedy of her death has seemed to obscure the triumph of her talent…the fun of the noughties, the craziness of Camden, her youth and brilliance – we want to reclaim that for her, with this film,” stated producer Owen.
“It is our enormous pleasure and privilege to produce and bring this movie to audiences. We are incredibly grateful to our partners at The Amy Winehouse Estate, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Publishing to have the opportunity to tell Amy Winehouse’s story with the use of her extraordinary music – to our partners at Focus Features – and to our amazing director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, and star Marisa Abela, who we are so excited to be working with,” said STUDIOCANAL EVP Global Production Ron Halpern and SVP Global Production Joe Naftalin.
Naftalin added: “Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent – and with our producing partners at Monumental Pictures, we will endeavor to do her proud with this movie – and create a music-driven event picture for audiences new and old that will make us all laugh, cry – and to truly celebrate Amy and her genius.”
Studiocanal, Focus Features, and Monumental Pictures released the following description of Back to Black:
“Amy Winehouse is widely considered one of the greatest artists in recent history, selling more than 30 million records worldwide, and today generating more than 80 million streams per month. Her acclaimed produced 2006 album Back To Black, propelled her to global stardom, going on to win a (then) record-breaking 5 Grammy Awards, including Record Of The Year and Song of The Year for hit single Rehab. Back to Black will focus on Amy’s extraordinary genius, creativity, and honesty that infused everything she did.
A journey that took her from the craziness and colour of 90’s Camden High Street to global adoration – and back again, Back to Black crashes through the looking glass of celebrity to watch this journey from behind the mirror, to see what Amy saw, to feel what she felt.”
