Amy Winehouse biopic to go ahead with director Sam Taylor-Johnson at helm

12 July 2022, 16:50 | Updated: 12 July 2022, 16:56

Amy Winehouse performing on stage in 2007
An Amy Winehouse biopic is set to be in casting stages. Picture: GettyChris Christoforou/Redferns

By Jenny Mensah

According to reports, a biopic detailing the life of the singer-songwriter, is going ahead with support from the Back To Black icon's estate.

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A biopic on the Amy Winehouse is still in the works with Sam Taylor-Johnson as director.

There have been talks of a film based on the late singer-songwriter's life since 2018, but now fresh reports confirm that it's set to go ahead with the British filmmaker at the helm.

According to Variety, the film - entitled Back To Black - is "a passion project" for the director, who was a friend of the singer before her untimely death in 2011.

The outlet adds that a script has already been circulating and the film is believed to be in "casting stages," with a relative newcomer being eyed up for the role of Winehouse..

The film is set to said to have the full support of the Winehouse estate and the icon's father Mitch Winehouse, who heavily criticised the Oscar-winning documentary, Amy.

Sam Taylor-Johnson
Sam Taylor-Johnson is set to direct the biopic. Picture: David M. Benett/Getty Images

Sam Taylor Johnson is also known for directing Fifty Shades Of Grey, A Million Little Pieces and Nowhere Boy - in which her husband Aaron Taylor Johnson also starred.

READ MORE: The best biopics ever made

The Winehouse family released BBC documentary Reclaiming Amy in 2021 to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the singer's passing and in an effort to set the record straight about the star.

Watch the trailer for Reclaiming Amy on the BBC

READ MORE: Amy Winehouse's Back To Black 15th anniversary marked with heart in Camden

It came after the release of 2015 documentary, Amy, of which Mitch Winehouse was particularly critical.

Back in 2016 when Asif Kapadia took home the Academy Award for the documentary, he took to Twitter to hit out at the film maker, accusing him of fooling "everybody" and calling the film a "negative, spiteful and misleading portrayal" of the late icon.

He wrote: "Always proud of my baby. Amy will not get an oscar though. Just Asif Kapadia. That is what this is all about...Asif. He's fooled everybody"

The Winehouse patriarch added: "I am not changing my stance just because film won Oscar. It's a negative, spiteful and misleading portrayal of Amy. We will fix this."

READ MORE: Is Back To Black Amy Winehouse's most poignant song?

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