The life of late singer Amy Winehouse will be coming to the screen in “Back to Black”, an upcoming biopic from Focus Features and Monumental Pictures.
According to an announcement on Friday, the film will be directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, whose credits include “Fifty Shades of Grey”, “A Million Little Pieces” and the John Lennon biopic “Nowhere Boy”.
Marisa Abela (“Industry”) has been cast in the lead role as Winehouse, who died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27.
Marisa Abela – Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage
“‘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 ’90s 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,” reads the announcement.
“My connection to Amy began when I left college and was hanging out in the creatively diverse London borough of Camden,” said Taylor-Johnson in a statement. “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. 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 realise 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.”
The Amy Winehouse Estate added: “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.”
Filming is set to begin on Jan. 16 in London.
