Bio-Pics Have Become a Bankable Commodity in Hollywood and There Are More on The Way.
- EL DE
- Aug 10, 2020
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 10, 2020
Bio-Pics, also known as Docu-Dramas, are movies that dramatize a specific person’s life and are presented in a feature-length film. Just in the past few years we have seen countless adaptations and many of them have had high-profile celebrities in the titular roles, making them more bankable. Looking back in just the last two years, we have seen Bohemian Rhapsody, which won big at the 2018 Academy Awards and Rocketman, which didn’t win, but sparked a lot of conversation around the film’s depiction of Elton John’s life.
Both of these Bio-Pics centered around the main character’s life and focus on their up-bringing, the events that made them into the person that made them so popular. However, these types of storylines are not always associated with Docu-Dramas or Bio-Pics, there are many different varieties of portrayals across the years. Take My Weekend with Marilyn (2011) for example. Yes, the movie is about Marilyn Monroe, but instead of using the feature film to describe her life and how she was catapulted into stardom, the film focuses on one specific weekend in her lifetime when she was filming The Price and the Showgirl (1959). The film doesn’t necessarily deep dive into who Monroe was as a person and how she grew up, but it does highlight a weekend viewing the world from Marilyn’s perspective. Instead of giving you the full picture, it operates on the basis that you know the person of who she is and you are privy to just one specific event from it.
An important distinction from these films is the plot and the characters. In Bio-Pics, the main character is the one whose perspective we are viewing, they are leading the plot, driving it along head first. It is quite different from “Based on a True Story” which follows real life events, but the plot is what is driving the story forward and is told from a variety of perspectives, the main character we only see glimpses of. If you are thinking of what to compare a Bio-Pic and Based on a True Story, Catch Me If You Can is Based on a True Story and Ali is a Bio-Pic. More often than not, Bio-Pics are named after the people they portray.
Just in the last five years, we have seen the following Bio-Pics and Docu-Dramas and there are more on the way:
1. Jackie, Jackie Onassis (2016)
2. Bohemian Rhapsody, Freddie Mercury & Queen (2018)
3. Rocketman, Elton John (2019)
4. I, Tonya, Tonya Harding (2017)
5. Nina, Nina Simone (2016)
6. On The Basis of Sex, Ruth Bader Ginsberg (2018)
7. First Man, Neil Armstrong (2018)
8. Vice, Dick Cheney (2018)
9. The Theory of Everything, Stephen Hawking (2014)
10. A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Mr. Rogers (2019)
There are many more, these are just a few that have been depicted on the big-screen in the last few years and many of them have been recognized and rewarded at major Award Celebrations. The three most notable of the past few years are Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman and I, Tonya all movies were rewarded at their respective ceremonies.
So now that we know what Bio-Pics are, what’s on its way down the pipeline? Here are a few of the Bio-Pics that will be hitting theaters…streaming services….soon!
Many of these are still tentative on titles and timelines, but the cast and directors have already been established!
1. RESPECT, Aretha Franklin (2021)
Like most movies in this climate, RESPECT has been pushed back, its new release date in early 2021 and yes, based on the new Oscar schedule, it will still be eligible for the 2021 Oscars. RESPECT follows the life of iconic Motown Singer, Aretha Franklin and her rise to fame. The first trailer has been released and very invested to see if it will spark another Nomination and Win for Jennifer Hudson, this time in the lead role.
2. Untitled Elvis Presley Project
This project is most commonly associated with Tom Hanks, although he is not the star of the movie, but maybe not for the right reasons. They were shooting in Australia in early 2020 where Tom Hanks contracted COVID while shooting for the project. The Elvis Bio-Pic will be produced and directed by Baz Luhrman, most commonly known for Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby, and is expected to follow the same flare as its predecessors. Austin Butler was announced in late 2019 as the lead in the film, portraying the famous Rock-N-Roll Star. Maggie Gyllenhaal and Tom Hanks are also appearing in the project. Due to COVID, the timeline for filming is scattered again.
3. King Richard (Richard Williams)
The movie was originally set for 2020 release, but has been pushed back yet again. The film is centered around the infamous patriarch of the Williams family, responsible for the upbringing of Venus and Serena Williams, tennis superstars. The film has already been under fire for deciding to portray the father of the sister duo, rather than the tennis stars themselves, and although I agree, I am very interested to see the portrayal. Will Smith is set to play Richard Williams and will be gunning for his long over-due Oscar, whenever they decide to release, rumored in December 2021. In the movie, it will depict Venus and Serena as children being coached by their father.
4. Stardust (David Bowie)
Stardust has been finished for a while, but hasn’t seen a wide distribution release anywhere. It follows the rise of David Bowie and his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust during his first visits to the United Stated in the 1970s. The film stars Johnny Flynn in the lead role, Jena Malone is also associated with the project.
5. Untitled Bob Dylan Project
Also announced in early 2020, the project has signed on Timothée Chalamet
to play the iconic singer songwriter. James Mangold is set to direct - Mangold was responsible for Ford v. Ferrari (2019).
6. Untitled Mike Tyson Project
Over the past few years, this project has become synonymous with Jamie Foxx, the producer, star and champion behind the film. Tyson has been a complicated figure in the media in the past few years, but the film is supposed to explore his early childhood and the rise to fame in the late 1980s through the mid-2000s. Foxx has described this as a passion project that he has been wanting to get made since 2014. Foxx is set to star in the lead role of Mike Tyson and has described the opening scene of the film. However, the movie is still In Development. Foxx stirred the Internet with a photo of his transformation into the iconic boxer which must mean, filming is on the way!
There are many other projects rumored on the horizon like a Kiss Bio-Pic with the same producers as Bohemian Rhapsody, no official word yet and Jared Leto supposedly starring in an Andy Warhol depiction. There have also been rumblings around Michael Jackson - it was announced in 2019 that the Jackson Estate has allowed the rights to be used. No word yet on if, but rumors have been swirling for a while and if the Jackson Estate has given it a green-light, you can be they will have some say in the film's direction...
There are a lot of projects that have been put on hold due to production shut downs and more to come. The moral here is that, these are not in short supply.
Which are you most excited for?
And that’s the sitch.
Commentaires