Billy Joel could be next after Michael sparked fresh biopic momentum

by

Fans of music biopics have a lot to look forward to! Following the success of the recent Michael Jackson movie, Michael, a film about Billy Joel is now in the works.

Variety reports that John Ottman is directing a movie called Billy & Me. While it shares some similarities with Michael, the film about Billy Joel is expected to be quite different, and this could affect how many people are interested in seeing it.

While Joel is talented, Jackson is much more widely known and attracts bigger crowds. Joel will draw an audience too, but it won’t be nearly as large as Jackson’s.

Billy Joel movie project sounds as if it won’t be very good

While the documentary Michael focused primarily on Jackson’s music and sparked criticism for not delving deeper into his personal, and often controversial, life (it’s important to note this doesn’t imply guilt, just that accusations created controversy), the upcoming film Billy & Me will shift the focus away from the music itself.

The movie’s title, “Irwin & Joel,” refers to Joel’s early manager, Irwin Mazur, who worked with him before he became famous – specifically, before 1972. The biopic will focus on these early years, showing Joel’s development as an artist before he achieved superstardom.

It’s similar to a movie about Michael Jackson focusing on his transition from the Jackson 5 to his solo work. A potential biopic about Joel seems to skip over the most interesting parts of his life. While his early years were important, he’s primarily known for his music, and that’s what people would want to see explored.

John Ottman hasn’t directed a film since the year 2000, when he made Urban Legends: Final Cut – and that’s not a typo! Meanwhile, Antoine Fuqua, who directed Michael, has made fifteen movies in the same period. Ottman often works with director Bryan Singer, so it’s good to keep that in mind.

Interestingly, Billy Joel isn’t participating in the movie. While this information might not be accurate, the film seems to be telling his life story entirely through the eyes of his old manager, meaning Joel himself has no say in how it’s portrayed. Currently, no actors have been announced, and the project doesn’t seem particularly promising.

Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow

Read More

2026-05-20 00:00