The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse – the supremely talented singer-songwriter who went from being a rising star on London’s jazz scene to a six-time Grammy-winning, Halloween costume-inspiring superstar before passing away from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27 – has already been told in a few different formats. There was 2015’s Amy, Asif Kapadia’s sweeping Oscar-winning documentary; 2018’s Amy Winehouse: Back to Black, Jeremy Marre’s in-depth look at the making of the titular album; and 2021’s Marina Parker-helmed Reclaiming Amy, in which her friends and family reflect on her life and legacy. But now, the tragic tale of her stratospheric rise and subsequent fall is getting the big-screen treatment in a major new Hollywood biopic.
On 11 July 2022, Deadline broke the news that the film, which has been in the works since 2018, would now be moving forward, with StudioCanal producing. Titled Back to Black, it will see Sam Taylor-Johnson, the BAFTA-nominated director behind Nowhere Boy and Fifty Shades of Grey, who was a close friend of Winehouse’s, take the lead behind the camera. Meanwhile, the script has been penned by Matt Greenhalgh, whose previous credits include both Nowhere Boy, an account of John Lennon’s teenage years, and Control, which follows Joy Division’s Ian Curtis – a track record which bodes well for the upcoming release.
It’s also crucial to note that the film is being made with the full support of the Amy Winehouse estate, which includes the musician’s father, Mitch, who faced criticism for his perceived role in his daughter’s downfall following the release of Kapadia’s documentary. This decision means that Taylor-Johnson will have permission to delve into Winehouse’s sensational back catalogue, but also raises questions about how sympathetically her family could be portrayed. Will the biopic focus on the latter half of her career and chart-topping second album, as the title suggests, or will it explore her childhood, too? And will it be more preoccupied with her musical successes or her struggles with substance abuse and destructive relationships?
However, the biggest question was always: who on earth could play the tattooed, beehived, cat-eyed singer? The answer is Industry star Marisa Abela, who dazzled critics and audiences with her portrayal of the beguiling Yasmin in both seasons of the hit show. The 27-year-old is also of Jewish heritage, a fact which was reportedly important to the film’s creative team in order to be authentic to Winehouse’s own background, and has singing experience, despite this not being on show in her previous onscreen parts. On 13 January 2023, a striking first look of the actor in character, with Winehouse’s signature beehive, gold hoops, tattoos and piercings, was unveiled – and set expectations sky high.
It was accompanied by a log line which stated that the film would “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.” In a statement, Taylor-Johnson added: “My connection to Amy began when I left college and was hanging out in 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. 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 a genius. As a filmmaker you can’t really ask for more.”
Then, on 19 January 2023, another report in Deadline revealed that three more revered actors had joined the project: Jack O’Connell, Lesley Manville and Eddie Marsan. The former has been cast as Blake Fielder-Civil, Winehouse’s erratic husband of two years, with whom she had a famously turbulent relationship. Meanwhile, Marsan will play her father, Mitch, and Manville will embody her grandmother, Cynthia. The latter, a former singer, was particularly close to Winehouse, and her family believe that her death in 2006 was partly responsible for precipitating Winehouse’s descent into addiction.
A second still, in which Abela bears an uncanny resemblance to Winehouse, followed on 5 December 2023, along with the announcement that the film would arrive in cinemas on 12 April 2024. Then, on 11 January 2024, came the devastating first teaser, with a full-length trailer following on 2 February. Mark your calendars now.
