Amy Winehouse is one of the most notorious soul and R&B musicians of all time. Her career garnered a substantial amount of accolades, including six Grammy Awards, one BRIT Award, two Echo Music Awards, one Elle Style Award, and countless accredited nominations and awards. This rags-to-riches story struck individuals around the world because, despite her swift climb to fame, Winehouse retained her distinct, unconventional style in all facets of her life. Her alternative fashion, her iconic makeup, her unprecedented musical innovation, and most of all, her candid personality, captivated audiences.

Despite Winehouse’s notoriety, there has never been a cinematic adaptation of her story. Various studios have attempted to develop Winehouse-related projects, including one from Lotus Entertainment with Noomi Rapace to star as Winehouse, but none came to fruition. The only feature to date is the Oscar award-winning A24 documentary Amy. There has been a prolonged hesitation in Hollywood to tell Winehouse’s story — and to tell it well. For many fans, it’s a recent, lived experience. For them, a cinematic adaptation requires historical accuracy, respect, and deep reverence for Winehouse.

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Now, thirteen years after her untimely death, Back to Black is in development. With the support of the Universal Music Group, the Winehouse Estate, and many notable showrunners with experience in biographical films, Back to Black is slated to be a unique interpretation of her life.

Back to Black: The Plot

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Back to Black tells a multifaceted, holistic account of Amy Winehouse’s life. The film includes her start as a budding North London jazz singer and follows her life through many milestone accomplishments. Winehouse notably became a Grammy-winning music superstar in her early-to-mid 20s, and her career contained many firsts and record-setting achievements.

While Winehouse led a successful career, it was ultimately her musical genius, creativity, and unconventional style that cemented her in history. She initially debuted with a unique vocal range and sound — often described as a “soul-inspired grit” — when covering songs by the “greats” of jazz (Sam Cooke, Billie Holiday, etc.). As she grew in fame, Winehouse combined the initial soul influence with her own R&B creations. What’s more, she performed these songs with an unwavering sense of self.

Like other recent “biopics”, Back to Black will provide a deeper look at its subject — what Amy saw, how she felt, and how she was outside the public eye. Even though it will include her battle with addiction and mental illness, the film showcases Winehouse’s musical and historical influence over the already overexposed events of her life.

Back to Black: The Cast & Crew

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Back to Black stars Marisa Abela (Industry) as Amy Winehouse. Abela recently wrapped production on Barbie, the Warner Bros live-action film adaptation from director Greta Gerwig. Abela also starred in the IFC Film and AMC+ espionage thriller Rogue Agent, alongside James Norton and Gemma Arterton. In addition to Abela, Back to Black stars Jack O’Connell (Unbroken), Eddie Marsan (The World’s End), and Lesley Manville (The Crown).

Sam Taylor-Johnson (Nowhere Boy, 50 Shades of Grey, A Million Little Pieces) directs the film. Matt Greenhalgh writes, marking a reunion with Sam Taylor-Johnson after their previous collaboration on Nowhere Boy. Alison Owen and Debra Hayward serve as producers. Nicky Kentish-Barnes, Ron Halpern, and Joe Naftalin are executive producing and overseeing production on behalf of Studiocanal. Nafalin and Halpern spoke to Deadline about the upcoming production.

Studiocanal is producing and partnered with Focus Features, Monumental Pictures, and Universal Pictures. Because Back to Black features many Winehouse songs, the film has the full support of Universal Music Group, Sony Music Publishing, and The Amy Winehouse Estate.

“It is our enormous pleasure and privilege to produce and bring this movie to audiences. We are incredibly grateful to our partners at The Amy Winehouse Estate, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Publishing to have the opportunity to tell Amy Winehouse’s story with the use of her extraordinary music – to our partners at Focus Features – and to our amazing director, Sam Taylor-Johnson, and star Marisa Abela, who we are so excited to be working with. Amy Winehouse was a once-in-a-generation talent – and with our producing partners at Monumental Pictures, we will endeavor to do her proud with this movie – and create a music-driven event picture for audiences new and old, that will make us all laugh, cry – and to truly celebrate Amy and her genius.”

Release Date

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Back to Black has an estimated 2024 premiere. Principal photography began on January 16. Once shooting wraps, Studiocanal will release a premiere date.

Everything Else We Know

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While speaking with Deadline, director Sam Taylor-Johnson explained her personal connection to Amy Winehouse and how it inspired her work on Back to Black.

“My connection to Amy began when I left college and was hanging out in the creatively diverse London borough of 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 genius. As a filmmaker you can’t really ask for more. I feel excited and humbled to have this opportunity to realize 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.”