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F. Gary Gray's film about the emergence of the rap group NWA—Dr. Dre, Eazy E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, DJ Yella—in the 1980s is America's 10th-highest grossing biopic, earning $161.20 million in the US, according to IMDB.
The highest-grossing music biopic in America (at $75.33 million) is not coincidentally a common favorite. Taylor Hackford's film about legendary blues musician Ray Charles, played by Jamie Foxx, follows the artist from when he first went blind to his immense stardom.
See also: The best biopic films ever made
Former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland was found dead after an accidental overdose in his tour bus in 2015 at the age of 48. Six years later, Dark Pictures reportedly started development on 'Paper Heart,' a movie based on the life of the legendary musician. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dark Pictures and Orian Williams have acquired the book rights to Weiland's memoir, 'Not Dead & Not for Sale,' which was written with David Ritz. Jennifer Erwin, a huge Stone Temple Pilots fan and co-founder of Dark Pictures, will pen the script for the moving rock n' roll film adaptation of Weiland’s life, from battling addiction to his triumphant comebacks.
Martin Scorsese's next big project takes on the story of one of the most popular bands of the 20th century: Grateful Dead. The band got together in 1965 and rode the psychedelic rock wave for the following decades. They kept producing music until their most iconic member, Jerry Garcia, passed away in 1997. Scorsese has chosen Jonah Hill to take on the role of Garcia in the upcoming biopic. Garcia's daughter and the surviving members of the band have reportedly given the project their blessing, and many are stepping in as executive producers. It's not yet known when production will begin.
The film follows the story of Tejano superstar Selena Quintanilla-Perez who made history on Latin music charts and was tragically murdered. The biopic stars a young Jennifer Lopez in her first big acting gig.
Frankie Lymon was a famous rock 'n' roll singer in the '50s and '60s, but he died at the age of 25 from a heroin overdose, leaving behind three women who each claimed to be his widow. The film stars Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, and Lela Rochon.
Daniel Radcliffe, most popular for playing Harry Potter, took on the role of parody musician "Weird Al" Yankovic in his 2022 biopic. Called 'Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,' the film "holds nothing back, exploring every facet of Yankovic’s life, from his meteoric rise to fame with early hits like ‘Eat It’ and ‘Like a Surgeon’ to his torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle,” said the press release, as per the NY Post. It's true Weird Al has quite the legacy as a five-time Grammy-winning comedy artist who is one of just three artists to land Top 40 hits in every decade since the 1980s, alongside Michael Jackson and Madonna, and he also co-wrote the film.
Whitney Houston's turbulent story of highs and lows finally hit the big screens in December 2022. Titled 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody,' the film stars Naomi Ackie as Houston, with Stanley Tucci playing the role of Clive Davis, the record producer who helped bring Houston to fame. Davis, who was close to Houston throughout her career, was also a producer on the film. Pat Houston, the legendary singer's sister-in-law and executor of the Houston estate, gave her blessing to the biopic as the first honest glimpse into the legendary singer's life, from her launch into stardom to her difficult relationships and more.
The 2023 Bob Marley biopic stars Kingsley Ben-Adir as the legendary reggae artist. The movie focuses on a few key years in Marley's life, opening in 1976 around the time an assassination attempt was carried out against him. His wife, Rita, is played by Lashana Lynch, and other cast members include James Norton, Michael Gandolfini, and Jesse Cilio. Ben-Adir revealed that he received the stamp of approval from the real-life Rita Marley, and her children with Bob—Ziggy and Cedella
The best-selling 2023 memoir 'The Woman in Me,' by the one and only Britney Spears, has been picked up by Universal Pictures. The studio secured the rights to the singer's book and has announced Jon M. Chu as the director. Chu is known for directing movies like 'Crazy Rich Asians' (2018) and the upcoming musical film 'Wicked' starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The actress who will play Spears has yet to be determined but the singer reportedly reserves veto rights when it comes to who will take on the starring role. The project is still in its infancy and very few details are available as of yet. However, producer Marc Platt is also on board, and both he and Chu have a history of creating musical movies. There's speculation that they may have snagged the rights to Britney's catalog and are planning to bring the biopic to life with her music. Platt also worked on 'Wicked' (2024), as well as 'The Little Mermaid' (2023) and 'Dear Evan Hansen' (2021).
Biographical films are so beloved because they unearth the deeply complex, violent, exciting, and inspiring worlds that lie beneath artists' songs. Check out this gallery to see some of the most popular American-made biographical films about legendary musicians.
The most popular American-made music biopics
Britney Spears' memoir is being made into a major motion picture by Universal
MOVIES Biopic
The best-selling 2023 memoir 'The Woman in Me,' by the one and only Britney Spears, has been picked up by Universal Pictures. The studio secured the rights to the singer's book and has announced Jon M. Chu as the director. Chu is known for directing movies like 'Crazy Rich Asians' (2018) and the upcoming musical film 'Wicked' starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo. The actress who will play Spears has yet to be determined but the singer reportedly reserves veto rights when it comes to who will take on the starring role. The project is still in its infancy and very few details are available as of yet. However, producer Marc Platt is also on board, and both he and Chu have a history of creating musical movies. There's speculation that they may have snagged the rights to Britney's catalog and are planning to bring the biopic to life with her music. Platt also worked on 'Wicked' (2024), as well as 'The Little Mermaid' (2023) and 'Dear Evan Hansen' (2021).
Biographical films are so beloved because they unearth the deeply complex, violent, exciting, and inspiring worlds that lie beneath artists' songs. Check out this gallery to see some of the most popular American-made biographical films about legendary musicians.