Billy Joel just shared what he really thinks about his biopic

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Following the success of movies like the recent Michael Jackson biopic and the Freddie Mercury film, we can anticipate many more films about popular musicians. A new movie about Billy Joel is in the works, though he himself isn’t thrilled about it.

The upcoming movie, titled Billy & Me, is scheduled to begin filming this fall. It tells the story of a younger Joel, before he achieved fame, and focuses on his relationship with his former manager, Irwin Mazur, who is also helping to create the film.

Billy Joel not a fan of the upcoming biopic Billy & Me

Okay, so apparently, according to People magazine, Billy Joel’s team just put out a statement about this new project someone’s trying to make. Basically, they’ve been telling these guys since 2021 that they don’t have the rights to his life story, and they definitely won’t be able to get the rights to use his music. Joel himself hasn’t given his blessing at all, and his team is saying that if they try to do it anyway, it’ll be a legal mess and just plain wrong.

It’s understandable why a comprehensive documentary about Billy Joel would be a stronger idea than the current film, Billy & Me. The film’s director, John Ottman, hasn’t directed a movie since the year 2000, and that was a horror film. While he’s a skilled editor – he’s worked on films like Bohemian Rhapsody – editing and directing a project about a famous artist require very different skill sets.

You’d think if Joel agreed to a movie about his life, it would emphasize his successful career rather than just his early hardships before the release of “Piano Man” in 1973. A key reason why the film Michael has resonated with audiences is its focus on the music itself, rather than solely on the artist’s personal story.

It’s unclear how much of Billy Joel’s music will actually be in the film Billy & Me. Their professional relationship ended before Joel’s hit song “Piano Man” came out, making the music rights situation complicated. It’s possible the movie won’t feature his songs at all, and given the project’s rocky start, that wouldn’t be surprising.

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2026-05-20 19:00