Back to Black (film)

Last updated

Back to Black
Back to black film poster.jpeg
US theatrical release poster
Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson
Screenplay by Matt Greenhalgh
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Polly Morgan
Edited by Martin Walsh
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • 12 April 2024 (2024-04-12)(United Kingdom)
  • 17 May 2024 (2024-05-17)(United States)
Running time
122 minutes [1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States [2]
LanguageEnglish

Back to Black is an upcoming biographical drama film based on the life of British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse, played by Marisa Abela. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and written by Matt Greenhalgh, the film also stars Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan, and Lesley Manville.

Contents

Following the death of Winehouse in 2011, several filmmakers attempted to create biopic projects but none of them progressed. In 2018, Winehouse's estate announced they had signed a deal for a film about her life and career. By July 2022, StudioCanal moved forward with production, and filming took place in London from January to April 2023.

The film is scheduled to be released theatrically by StudioCanal in the United Kingdom on 12 April 2024, and by Focus Features in the United States on 17 May 2024.

Premise

The film will delve into the life and career of Winehouse, beginning with her early days in the early 2000s as a North London jazz musician and culminating in her rise to fame as a Grammy-winning singer with songs like "Rehab" and "Back to Black". [3]

Cast

Production

Development

After the death of Winehouse in 2011, filmmakers attempted to create a feature biopic with various projects, including one in 2015 with Noomi Rapace attached to star, but none moved forward. [3] In October 2018, it was announced that Winehouse's estate had signed a deal to make a biopic about her life and career. [4] In July 2022, Deadline Hollywood reported that StudioCanal was moving forward with a feature film entitled Back to Black. Sam Taylor-Johnson directed from a script by Matt Greenhalgh. [3] Alison Owen and Debra Hayward produced under their Monumental Pictures banner, alongside Nicky Kentish-Barnes. [5]

Casting

In January 2023, it was reported that Marisa Abela would star as Winehouse, and Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville were also cast. [6] [7] O'Connell portrays Blake Fielder-Civil, Amy's husband from 2007 to 2009. [7] Marsan and Manville play Amy's father and grandmother, Mitch Winehouse and Cynthia Winehouse, respectively. [7] Juliet Cowan portrays Amy's mother, Janis Winehouse. [8] Jeff Tunke plays Mark Ronson, a music producer who collaborated with Winehouse on the album Back to Black . [9] Nina Gold served as casting director. [5]

Filming

Principal photography took place in London from January to April 2023, with Polly Morgan serving as cinematographer. [2] [10] Scenes were filmed at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, outside Winehouse's first flat in Camden Town, and at Primrose Hill. [11] [12] In February, scenes were shot inside the Metropolis Studios in Chiswick. [13] From 13 March to 18 March, production moved to Fitzrovia to film scenes at the Fitzroy Square. [14] That following week, Abela and O'Connell shot scenes at the London Zoo. [15]

Music

Back to Black features many of Winehouse's songs from Universal Music Group and Sony Music Publishing, [2] with Abela's vocals throughout the film. [16] Nick Cave and Warren Ellis scored the film, while Giles Martin served as the music producer. [17]

In March 2024, a compilation soundtrack of Winehouse's original recordings was announced along with tracks from her inspirations such as Dinah Washington, Minnie Riperton and The Shangri-Las. Their voices are featured in the film. A new song from Nick Cave, "Song for Amy" will be included. [18]

Release

Back to Black will be distributed by Focus Features in the United States (US), with its parent company Universal Pictures distributing internationally excluding the United Kingdom (UK), France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Benelux, Scandinavia and Poland. [2] The film is scheduled to be released by StudioCanal in the UK and Poland on 12 April 2024, followed by Germany, Australia and the Netherlands on 18 April, and France and New Zealand the following week. [19] Focus Features scheduled the film to be released in the US on 17 May 2024, being moved back from a May 10 release. [20] [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Koepp</span> American screenwriter (born 1963)

David Koepp is an American screenwriter and director. He is the ninth most successful screenwriter of all time in terms of U.S. box office receipts with a total gross of over $2.3 billion. Koepp has achieved both critical and commercial success in a wide variety of genres: thriller, science fiction, comedy, action, drama, crime, superhero, horror, adventure, and fantasy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Winehouse</span> English singer and songwriter (1983–2011)

Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues, reggae and jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Ronson</span> British-American musician, DJ, songwriter, and record producer (born 1975)

Mark Daniel Ronson is a British-American musician, DJ, songwriter, and record producer. He has won eight Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year for Amy Winehouse's album Back to Black (2006), as well as two for Record of the Year with her 2006 single "Rehab" and his own 2014 single "Uptown Funk". He has also won an Academy Award for Best Original Song, a Golden Globe and a Grammy Award for co-writing "Shallow" for the film A Star Is Born (2018). Ronson served as lead and executive producer for the soundtrack to the 2023 fantasy comedy film Barbie, on which he also composed and co-wrote several of its songs with his production partner Andrew Wyatt. The soundtrack won three Grammy Awards—"What Was I Made For?" won Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media, while the parent album won Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media—from 11 nominations, as well as two Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesley Manville</span> British actress (born 1956)

Lesley Ann Manville is an English actress known for her frequent collaborations with Mike Leigh, appearing in the films Grown-Ups (1980), High Hopes (1988), Secrets & Lies (1996), Topsy-Turvy (1999), All or Nothing (2002), Vera Drake (2004), Another Year (2010), and Mr. Turner (2014). She has been nominated for two British Academy Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Another Year (2010) and Phantom Thread (2017), with her performance in the latter earning her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Marsan</span> British actor

Edward Maurice Charles Marsan is an English actor. He won the London Film Critics Circle Award and the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Happy-Go-Lucky (2008).

<i>Back to Black</i> 2006 studio album by Amy Winehouse

Back to Black is the second and final studio album by English singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse, released on 27 October 2006 by Island Records. Winehouse predominantly based the album on her tumultuous relationship with then-ex-boyfriend and future husband Blake Fielder-Civil, who temporarily left her to pursue his previous ex-girlfriend. Their short-lived separation spurred her to create an album that explores themes of guilt, grief, infidelity, heartbreak and trauma in a relationship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valerie (Zutons song)</span> 2006 single by the Zutons

"Valerie" is a song by English indie rock band the Zutons from their second studio album, Tired of Hanging Around (2006). The song was later covered by Mark Ronson, with lead vocals provided by Amy Winehouse, reaching number two on the UK Singles Chart in 2007.

Juliet Cowan is a Northern Irish television, film and stage actress. Cowan has had various TV guest star roles in long-running shows such as EastEnders, Silent Witness and Casualty. Cowan has also had a recurring role in the CBBC show The Sarah Jane Adventures, This Life and BBC comedy Back to Life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack O'Connell (actor)</span> English/Irish actor

Jack O'Connell is an English actor. He first gained recognition for playing James Cook in the British television series Skins. He is also known for his roles in This Is England (2006), the slasher film Eden Lake (2009), the television dramas Dive (2010) and United (2011), and the Netflix wild west miniseries Godless (2017), for which he received a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Greenhalgh</span> English screenwriter

Matthew Greenhalgh is an English screenwriter from Manchester. He is best known for writing the screenplay to the film Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, which earned him a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

StudioCanal Limited is the official branch of StudioCanal in the British Isles. The company releases many films, including foreign, anime, independent, art, British, Irish and American films in the United Kingdom and sometimes Ireland.

<i>Amy</i> (2015 film) 2015 film

Amy is a 2015 British documentary film directed by Asif Kapadia and produced by James Gay-Rees. The film covers British singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse's life and her struggle with substance abuse, both before and after her career blossomed, and which eventually caused her death. In February 2015, a teaser trailer based on the life of Winehouse debuted at a pre-Grammys event. David Joseph, CEO of Universal Music UK, announced that the documentary titled Amy would be released later that year. He further stated: "About two years ago we decided to make a movie about her—her career and her life. It's a very complicated and tender movie. It tackles lots of things about family and media, fame, addiction, but most importantly, it captures the very heart of what she was about, which is an amazing person and a true musical genius."

Nina Gold is a casting director known for her work on the HBO series Rome and Game of Thrones and the Netflix series The Crown. She has also worked as casting director in movies like The Martian, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and Solo: A Star Wars Story.

<i>Reagan</i> (2024 film) (ca.) film directed by Sean McNamara

Reagan is an upcoming 2024 American biographical historical drama film directed by Sean McNamara and written by Howard Klausner and Jonas McCord, based on a book by Paul Kengor. The film stars Dennis Quaid as Ronald Reagan. Penelope Ann Miller, Robert Davi, Lesley-Anne Down and Jon Voight feature in supporting roles.

Marisa Gabrielle Abela is an English actress. She is known for her roles in the BBC Two and HBO series Industry (2020–) and the Sky One series COBRA (2020). She will portray Amy Winehouse in the 2024 biopic Back to Black.

<i>Citadel</i> (TV series) American spy thriller television series

Citadel is an American spy action thriller television series created by Josh Appelbaum, Bryan Oh, and David Weil for Amazon Prime Video, with the Russo brothers acting as executive producers. It stars Richard Madden and Priyanka Chopra Jonas as Citadel agents Mason Kane and Nadia Sinh, respectively, with Stanley Tucci and Lesley Manville among the main cast.

Midas Man is an upcoming British biographical film about the life of music entrepreneur Brian Epstein, who managed The Beatles. Based on a story and screenplay by Brigit Grant, the film is directed by Joe Stephenson, previous directors Sara Sugarman and Jonas Åkerlund having moved on from the project. After starting filming in October 2021, there were various hold-ups until it resumed in 2023, finishing in June.

Cold Storage is an upcoming American thriller film directed by Jonny Campbell and written by David Koepp, based on Koepp's 2019 novel of the same title. It stars Liam Neeson and Joe Keery.

References

  1. "Back to Black (2024)". Irish Film Classification Office . 14 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Dalton, Ben. "London shoot underway on Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black". KFTV.com . Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Kroll, Justin (11 July 2022). "Amy Winehouse Biopic 'Back To Black' Moving Forward At Studiocanal With Sam Taylor-Johnson Directing". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  4. Snapes, Laura (15 October 2018). "Amy Winehouse family signs deal to make biopic". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 Ntim, Zac (2 February 2024). "Back To Black Trailer: Marisa Abela Is Amy Winehouse In Sam Taylor-Johnson's Musical Biopic". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  6. Kroll, Justin (13 January 2023). "Studiocanal's Amy Winehouse Pic 'Back To Black' Lands At Focus Features 'Industry' Star Marisa Abela To Play Grammy-Winning Singer; First Look Unveiled". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Kroll, Justin (19 January 2023). "Jack O'Connell, Eddie Marsan And Lesley Manville Join Studiocanal And Focus' Amy Winehouse Pic Back To Black". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 19 January 2023. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  8. Chrisp, Kitty (19 February 2023). "Amy Winehouse's dad disappointed not to be played by George Clooney in new biopic: 'Eddie f****** Marsan!'". Metro . Archived from the original on 19 February 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  9. Bergeson, Samantha (11 March 2024). "Mark Ronson Says the Back to Black Script Really "Nailed" Amy Winehouse's "Humor"". IndieWire . Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  10. Eagan, Daniel (21 December 2022). "Over a Hundred Pinks: Barbie Production Designer Sarah Greenwood Previews the Greta Gerwig Comedy". IndieWire . Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  11. Chrisp, Kitty (16 January 2023). "Is that Marisa Abela or Amy Winehouse on the set of Back To Black?". Metro UK . Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  12. Leaver, Joel (20 January 2023). "Amy Winehouse's biopic sees 'Blake' arrested in scenes filmed outside her old flat". Daily Mirror . Archived from the original on 21 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  13. Smith, Matt (8 February 2023). "Scenes for Amy Winehouse biopic Back to Black filmed in Chiswick". The Chiswick Calendar. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  14. Rees, Linus (12 March 2023). "Film crews promise to minimise nuisance during Winehouse shoot". Fitzrovia News . Archived from the original on 21 March 2023. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  15. Graye, Megan (23 March 2023). "Back to Black: Biopic team recreates Amy Winehouse's first date with Blake Fielder-Civil". Yahoo! News . Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
  16. Travis, Ben. "Back To Black Trailer Breakdown: Director Sam Taylor-Johnson On Telling Amy Winehouse's Story, Casting Marisa Abela And Navigating Blake". Empire . Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  17. Ritman, Alex (7 February 2024). "Nick Cave Scoring Amy Winehouse Biopic Back to Black (Exclusive)". Variety . Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  18. Paul, Larisha (20 March 2024). "Amy Winehouse, Billie Holiday, Nick Cave to Appear on Back to Black Biopic Soundtrack". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  19. Goldbart, Max (5 December 2023). "Back To Black: Latest Image From Upcoming Amy Winehouse Movie Unveiled As Studiocanal Announces Release Dates". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  20. Shanfeld, Ethan (12 December 2023). "Amy Winehouse Biopic Back to Black Gets 2024 U.S. Release Date". Variety . Retrieved 12 December 2023.