At some point soon, there will be a lot of upcoming music biopics that we’ll be talking about in the conversation of best musically-inclined biographical dramas. Over the years, we’ve seen some of the most enchanting and unforgettable movie moments from Best Picture winners about beloved and tormented musicians. Movies like Walk the Line, What’s Love Got to Do with It, and more recently, Back to Black, have not only shed light on the careers, lives, and legacies of their subjects, they also introduced new audiences to several of history’s best musicians.
In the coming months and years, audiences will get to take a deep dive into the lives of even more celebrated musicians in the crop of upcoming music biopics. Here are some of the music-centric biographical dramas on the 2024 movie schedule and beyond that we’re excited to see.
Piece By Piece - October 11, 2024
The music biopic format will get a new look this fall when Piece by Piece, an upcoming family-friendly movie telling the life story of Pharrell Williams with Lego bricks (hence the name) hits the big screen. Directed by Morgan Neville, this unique spin on the genre combines elements of documentaries, coming-of-age stories, and hilarious animated comedies like The Lego Movie to retrace the steps and career of one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time.
When Piece by Piece opens in theaters on October 11, 2024, it will see mini-fig versions of Pharrell, Gwen Stefani, Kendrick Lamar, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, and many others, as well as Daft Punk, according to Variety.
A Complete Unknown - December 25, 2024
This Christmas, Timothée Chalamet will portray one of the most influential musicians in American history: Bob Dylan. James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown will follow the trailblazing musician around the time he expanded his repertoire and shocked his fans by going electric at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, according to Deadline. Chalamet, who’s perfect for the role, will be joined by Elle Fanning and Edward Norton, who is set to portray folk legend Pete Seeger.
If Chalamet’s presence and singing voice from the first A Complete Unknown trailer are any indication, this highly anticipated biopic could be one of the best films of the year before it’s all said and done.
Better Man - January 17, 2025
Robbie Williams, one of the most successful and beloved British pop stars will soon be the subject of a biopic titled Better Man, in which he will play himself. Directed by The Greatest Showman helmer Michael Gracy, this promising biographical drama will follow the former Take That member as he goes from a young boy with aspirations of being a performer to a pop idol performing sold out shows at the Royal Albert Hall, and everything in between.
Better Man is slated to have a wide release in the United States starting on January 17, 2025 (after a limited run on December 25, 2024), according to Deadline, which means we might be hearing about the Robbie Williams experience in the upcoming awards season.
Michael - April 18, 2025
Though the 1992 ABC miniseries, The Jacksons: An American Dream, took a deep dive into the life and career of Michael Jackson and his brothers, the King of Pop has never received a proper music biopic. Well, that will change in 2025 with the release of Michael. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, this highly anticipated biographical drama will turn its focus on the pop culture icon, who will be played by his nephew, Jaafar Jackson, though it’s not yet known what all that will entail.
There are some things we know about Michael at this point, including its April 18, 2025 release date, and the fact that Colman Domingo and Nia Long will be playing his parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson. Miles Teller is also set to appear in the movie as John Branca, Jackson’s longtime manager and the co-executor of his estate. We’re all very excited for this long-awaited film to land on the 2025 movie schedule.
Sam Mendes’ Beatles Movies - 2027
Sam Mendes, a director who doesn’t get talked about enough, is preparing to take on what could possibly be his most ambitious project yet, four movies about the Beatles. If all things go according to plan, the 1917 filmmaker will release a series of biopics, with each film centering on a specific member of the iconic rock outfit.
Details are slim to none at this early stage in the films’ development, but there are plenty of key events that would make for great scenes in whatever this ends up being. Mendes, who has made movies like American Beauty and Skyfall throughout his career, will be more than up to the task, and hopefully, that’s the case for whoever signs on to play John, Paul, George, and Ringo. And according to Variety, the movies will start rolling out at some point in 2027.
Maria - TBD
Pablo Larraín, the Academy Award-winning Chilean filmmaker behind biopics like Neruda, Jackie, and Spencer, will return to the genre once again with his upcoming project, Maria. The movie, which doesn’t have a release date at this time, will see Angelina Jolie take on the role of iconic opera singer, Maria Callas.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, which shared first-look images from the upcoming movie in October 2023, Maria will tell the story of Callas’ final days in 1970s Paris, though not a lot of other details have been released concerning the plot. Production was slated to kick off around that time.
The Nat King Cole Biopic - TBD
Colman Domingo, who’ll also play Joe Jackson in another upcoming biopic, has been on a tear as of late, and that momentum will hopefully be enough to get his long-in-the-works Nat King Cole biopic into theaters sooner rather than later. In January 2025, the Rustin and Sing Sing star told Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast that the movie, which he is attached to lead and direct, is something he’s been working on quietly for a number of years and something he’s looking forward to putting together.
According to Variety, this isn’t the first time the Academy Award nominee has crafted a project based on the “Unforgettable” singer, as Domingo previously co-wrote the play Lights Out: Nat King Cole which followed the singer during his 1957 Christmas special, the first of its kind hosted by an African American performer.
Shout It Out Loud (Kiss) - TBD
KISS, one of the biggest rock bands (and brands) of all time, will be getting the biopic treatment at some point in the future, as Deadline has reported that McG is slated to direct Shout It Out Loud, a film based on the life and career of the iconic outfit. Details about the movie are scarce at this point in its development, but considering the history and iconography that made the Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley-led rock group so legendary over the past 50 years, this could be a flashy, splashy, and over-the-top rock pic.
Expect to hear more about this exciting project in the coming weeks and months as more details are announced.
Janis Joplin Biopic - TBD
Though one of the most transformative and beloved singers of the ‘60s counter-culture movement, Janis Joplin has never been the subject of a biographical drama, though there have been numerous attempts. Well, that will soon change as Variety has reported that Big Little Lies star Shailene Woodley is set to play the “Piece of My Heart” singer in an untitled biopic.
The singer, who’s remembered for her electric performances and powerful voice, passed away in October 1970, joining the ranks of other famous musicians like Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix who passed away at the age of 27. There’s no word on which aspects of Joplin’s career will be documented in the upcoming film, but hopefully, it includes her legendary Woodstock set.
Frank Sinatra Biopic - TBD
One of the most exciting music biographical dramas in the works, Martin Scorsese’s Frank Sinatra biopic will focus on the life and career of the iconic crooner and actor who dominated American music and pop culture throughout the 20th century. Though details are limited at this point, Variety reported in April 2024 that the Killers of the Flower Moon director was looking to make the movie one of his next two projects and that longtime collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio was being eyed for the lead role alongside Jennifer Lawrence.
Expect to hear a lot more about this high-profile biopic in the coming months, as this could be one of the best of its kind in quite some time.
Deliver Me From Nowhere - TBD
Bruce Springsteen is one of the most iconic American rockers, and his 1982 stripped-down LP titled Nebraska is one of the best records of, not only his career, but in rock music history. At some point in the near future, Scott Cooper’s Deliver Me From Nowhere will explore how “The Boss” crafted his masterpiece and everything that led to it.
Not a whole lot is known about the movie at this point, but The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White is set to portray the New Jersey rock ‘n roll icon while Succession star Jeremy Strong will be joining the biopic as Springsteen’s longtime manager, Jon Landau. When speaking on the role with Deadline in September 2024, White said he felt “really lucky” to be playing the decorated rocker. Both Springsteen and Landau are serving as producers on the film, so don’t get too worried about its authenticity.
Linda Ronstadt Biopic - TBD
Linda Ronstadt, the 11-time Grammy winner behind iconic tracks like “You’re No Good,” “Somewhere Out There,” and “Blue Bayou” will be getting the biopic treatment at some point in the future, and the actress tied to portraying her has us very excited. In January 2024, Rolling Stone confirmed that Only Murders in the Building star Selena Gomez was attached to star in the untitled movie after she shared an image of Ronstadt’s Simple Dreams memoir on her Instagram page.
Not a lot is known about the movie at this time, including its cast, director, and official title. With Gomez being one of the biggest names in pop culture right now, it probably won’t be long before we hear more about this exciting music biopic.
Fred Astaire Biopic - TBD
Hollywood has seen few stars who have shined as bright as Fred Astaire, the legendary entertainer who could seemingly do it all, and better than anyone else. Well, at some point in the future, Tom Holland will play the legendary actor/singer/dancer/musician/choreographer in a biopic that has been long in the works. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the movie, which is being directed by Paddington and Wonka’s Paul King, will center on the relationship shared by Astaire and his sister, Adele.
There hasn’t been any word on who will be playing Adele Astaire, but considering her talent was only eclipsed by that of her brother, the ideal candidate will need to be able to sing and dance alongside the Spider-Man star.
Beautiful - TBD
We’ve seen several long-running Broadway musicals get turned into big-screen adaptations in recent years with the likes of The Color Purple and Mean Girls. At some point soon, we’ll have another addition to that list with Beautiful, a movie based on the Tony Award-winning Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
In December 2022, Variety revealed a ton of information about the project, including that Where the Crawdads Sing star Daisy Edgar-Jones would be playing the beloved musician in the biopic helmed by The Kids Are All Right director Lisa Cholodenko. There aren’t a lot of details about the movie at this time, but Sony Pictures did secure the rights to King’s catalog of hits, meaning we’ll be hearing some legendary tracks in the musical biopic.
The Grateful Dead Biopic - TBD
The Grateful Dead, one of the pioneers of the jam band movement in the 20th century, will be getting the biographical drama treatment at some point in the future. What makes this so exciting is the fact that Martin Scorsese is attached to direct, Variety reported in November 2021. This won’t be the filmmaker’s first time working on a project about the Dead, as he previously helmed the 2017 documentary, Long Strange Trip.
Deadline also reported that Jonah Hill, who worked with Scorsese in The Wolf of Wall Street, had been tapped to play Garcia in the biopic. There hasn’t been any word on when the project will enter production or who will join Hill in the cast.
Sublime Biopic - TBD
Sublime, the iconic ‘90s band that became a massive hit thanks to its blend of punk, reggae, rock, and late singer Bradley Nowell’s signature voice, will be getting the biopic treatment if everything goes to plan. In September 2022, Variety reported that Francis Lawrence, the director behind I Am Legend and the Hunger Games movies, was spearheading the untitled project for Sony’s 3000 Pictures.
There hasn’t been much in terms of details about the biopic centered around the Long Beach alternative rock band, but it would be interesting to see how the movie handles the band’s rapid rise to fame and Nowell’s tragic death just before the release of their self-titled album.
Bee Gees Biopic - TBD
There has been talk of a movie about the Bee Gees for years, but it looks like it may really be happening this time. In December 2022, Deadline reported that Hustlers director Lorene Scafaria would be helming the Paramount Pictures biographical drama after original helmer, John Carney, backed out.
Not much is known at this time, and we don’t yet know who will be playing the chart-topping disco group best known for coming up with beloved tracks like “Stayin’ Alive” and “How Deep Is Your Love?” on the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.
We will make sure to keep everyone updated on the status of each of these projects (and any new biographical dramas) as more information becomes available. But, in the meantime, take a look at our rundown of 10 biopics about black musicians everyone should watch.
