After so many years trying to get aJanis Joplinbiopic off the ground,Shailene Woodleyseems to be the star who will make it happen. Janis Joplin is one of the most iconic and influential singers of all time, as during her brief career in the late ’60s she became a cultural icon and is considered the Queen of Rock. Joplin tragically passed away in 1970 at the age of 27 following a heroin overdose, but her legacy has lived on, and her story is one that some of the most respected and talented stars in Hollywood have tried to make to no avail – until now.
Varietyreports that Shailene Woodley will star in and produce an upcoming Janis Joplin biopic. The movie will receive $2.5 million in funding from the California Film Commission, shoot over 30 days, and spend about $10 million in “qualified expenditures." No director or other cast members have been announced, but Woodley appears to be taking a very active role in the development of the film. She released a statement regarding the importance of filming in California:
“California meant so much to Janis Joplin — from the stoops of San Francisco to the wooden walls of Sunset Sound, the state became the stage upon which she explored not just the world of music, but the world of her vibrant humanity,”
Will This Be the Janis Joplin Biopic That Finally Happens?
Various attempts to get a Janis Joplin movie off the ground have been made over the past 20 years. Back in 2004, Pink was going to star, but by 2006,Zooey Deschanel was going to play the iconic rock star. Deschanel’sThe Gospel According to Janisnever materialized, and then in 2010, a separate biopic, titledJanis: Get It While you may,would have starred Amy Adams. BothThe Butler’s Lee Daniels andDallas Buyers Clubdirector Jean-Marc Vallée were attached to that project during various points of development.Piece of My Heartwas another potential Janis Joplin biopic that, at various points, had singer Melissa Etheridge, the late, great Brittany Murphy, and Renée Zellweger attached.
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Musical biopics are the superhero genre of awards fare; they generate a lot of interest for general audiences but are also subject to a lot of criticism. They tend to be box office hits, likeElvis,Walk the Line,orStraight Outta Compton. Actors tend to love musical biopics because they offer a surefire way to show how drastically an actor can transform into a well-respected and beloved figure. Academy Award wins for Rami Malek inBohemian Rhapsodyand Jamie Foxx inRayhave become the goals every actor who does a musical biopic aims for. Even Renée Zellweger, who was formerly set to play Janis Joplin, later won an Oscar for her portrayal of Judy Garland inJudy. It doesn’t always work with critics and audiences, asseen this summer with the box office failure ofBack to Black, a controversial biopic based on the life of the late Amy Winehouse. Woodley likely hopes her Janis Joplin biopic is received more warmly.
