Noomi Rapace to Play Amy Winehouse in a Biopic
Every music icon whose life ended in tragedy is obligated to receive a biopic, so it’s not surprising to learn that there’s an Amy Winehouse movie in the works. What might be a bit surprising is who they’re casting in the role.
According to Screen Daily, Subotica Films, which previously produced the Jimi Hendrix biopic Jimi: All Is By My Side, is in talks with Swedish actress Noomi Rapace (Prometheus) to portray the Grammy-winning singer. Interestingly, Rapace is about to turn 36, while Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning at age 27.
It’s not too uncommon for biopics to cast actors of inauthentic ages. At 45, Kevin Spacey played Bobby Darin, who died at age 35, in Beyond the Sea. And until a lawsuit halted its development, a Janis Joplin biopic was set to star 41-year-old Amy Adams despite the fact that Joplin also died at age 27.
The Winehouse biopic is tentatively titled Amy Winehouse. Irish filmmaker Kirsten Sheridan, who received an Oscar nomination for co-writing In America with her dad, Jim Sheridan, has already scripted the movie, which she’s also expected to direct. Her previous directorial efforts include the musical drama August Rush.
Every biopic needs competition, of course, and this one may not be an exception. Slashfilm points out that another Winehouse film is reportedly in the works from the singer’s own father, Mitch. But that won’t be a biopic and is actually in response to this year’s hit documentary Amy, which Mitch Winehouse claims is not a truthful representation.
Regardless of what he thinks of it, Amy is still a brilliantly constructed portrait, and also a deeply sad one. The documentary, which has grossed a whopping $8.4 million in the U.S. alone, should be seen while you wait for Sheridan’s take on the troubled artist’s life. If it’s not still playing in a theater near you, check it out now on iTunes and VOD.