Music biopics are bigger than ever. Every year, we can expect at least a few, with Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere hitting theatres this week. Why are they so popular? Well, there are a few reasons. For one thing, they can reignite interest in a musician’s catalogue. For another, they are easy awards bait for actors and can make stars under the best circumstances. For an easy example, just look at Austin Butler, who was mostly unknown before landing the starring role in Elvis – and now he’s so big it seems like he’s going to lead the big-budget Miami Vice remake.
However, there’s a danger to music biopics. For one thing, actors can become too identified with the role. This nearly happened to Butler, who seemingly couldn’t shake his Elvis voice for years, with it showing up in his follow-up projects like Masters of the Air (arguably – Dune: Part Two was the first time he finally ditched it). The other danger is that fans could claim a story is whitewashed, with Bohemian Rhapsody especially disliked by many fans of Queen for the liberties it took with Freddy Mercury’s story. Legally, they can also be a minefield, with the upcoming Michael Jackson biopic caught up in legal limbo, which has resulted in extensive reshoots and retooling.
Perhaps that’s why some directors opt for a more unconventional approach, with this week’s Springsteen flick only covering a particular part of his career (although given the middling box office, perhaps that was a mistake). At any rate, expect plenty of music biopics to come, with Ridley Scott still planning his Bee Gees epic, and no less than four Beatles biopics (one for each member) hitting theatres in 2028.
With that in mind, what is your favourite music biopic? Please take the poll below and let us know!
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