Marisa Abela trained for 'two hours a day' to play Amy Winehouse in upcoming biopic
Back To Black will chart her incredible talent
Last updated 2nd Apr 2024
Marisa Abela has opened up about how she prepared to play Amy Winehouse in the upcoming biopic of her life, Back To Black. The film, which is set to be released in April 2024, follows the rise of Amy's career, and her untimely death at the age of just 27-years-old.
Speaking on The Jonathan Ross Show on Friday 29th March, Marisa admitted that she'd undergone a lot of preparation for the role of the jazz soulstress - taking on two hours of vocal training every day to try and emulate the singer-songwriter.
She said: "For me when I got the job I wanted to learn to sing as much as I could because this was her chosen medium - this is her art form, this is how she expressed herself. It felt so odd to do all of this work and then come to open my mouth to sing and cut to a studio recording. I trained really hard, I trained for two hours a day for four months.
"It was definitely nerve-wracking. You have to take that fear and use it as a driving factor in your preparation. I wanted to use that energy that I had. It’s an element of responsibility that you feel. I took that responsibility and I worked pretty hard.
"You have to do a lot of work to make her physically recognisable as the person that everyone knows. There’s that other side, the person, the human, the woman behind the music and also what we think we know about her - I think that was the most important thing to me."
Marisa also confessed that no-one had asked her whether she could sing throughout the audition process: "I knew Sam (Taylor-Johnson, director) and I felt the same way that whoever was going to play this part needed to be Amy from the inside out."
Sam confirmed that Marisa had blown her away from the first audition: "I had all these young women sitting outside coming in, and most of them had come in, in some shape or form with either a hoop earring or cat eye or something. Marisa had none of that - she came in as herself but she was the first person in the room.
"I was fiddling around with the camera, chatting with the casting director and I just looked in the lens and Marisa looked up and she completely transformed. She hadn’t even said anything. I thought, 'That's her.'"
Back To Black: The official trailer for the Amy Winehouse biopic
The first trailer was released for the film in January 2024, showing Marisa Abela in her turn as Amy. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, the feature film will chart her "life and music", and is set to be released in April 2024.
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson said: "Discovering a talent like Marisa Abela is akin to finding gold dust. The moment she looked into the lens at her first audition I knew she was the perfect actor to play Amy Winehouse.
"She put in an enormous amount of work, attention to every detail and she trained daily for hours to be able to sing throughout the entire movie. She doesn’t impersonate Amy, she inhabits her."
First look picture of Marisa Abel as Amy Winehouse
Back in January 2023 as the project prepared to begin filming, production company StudioCanal released a first look photo of actress Marisa Abel on the set as the 'Love Is A Losing Game' songmaker... And the likeness was striking.
What have Amy's family said about Back To Black?
Amy's family have supported the project, with a statement from The Amy Winehouse Estate reading: "We are thrilled that STUDIOCANAL, Focus Features and Monumental are making this movie celebrating our daughter Amy’s extraordinary music legacy and showcasing her talent in the way that it deserves."
Who is in the cast?
As mentioned, Marisa Abela will star as Amy. She's joined in the film by Jack O’Connell as Blake Fielder-Civil, Eddie Marsan as Mitch Winehouse, Juliet Cowan as Janis Winehouse and Golden Globe and Oscar-nominated Lesley Manville as Amy’s grandmother, Cynthia.
Marisa shared a tribute to Amy on her Instagram profile shortly after the announcement of her casting, simply writing: '“And for London. This is for London. Cause Camden Town ain’t burnin down”. I love you, Amy. ❤️'
When is it being released?
The film will be released in the UK and Ireland on 12th April 2024, and will be released in the US on 10th May 2024. Filming began on Monday 16th January 2023 and wrapped in April 2023.
Why did Sam Taylor-Johnson want to make a film about Amy Winehouse?
Director Sam Taylor-Johnson also expressed her understanding of the gravity of her role, saying: "My connection to Amy began when I left college and was hanging out in the creatively diverse London borough of Camden. A few years later Amy wrote her searingly honest songs whilst living in Camden. Like with me, it became part of her DNA."
Sam, who also directed John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, added: "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 realise 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."
What is the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic called?
The film is called 'Back To Black', named after Amy's song and 2007 album of the same name that really catapulted her into the spotlight.
What will the film be about?
The official synopsis from StudioCanal reads: 'BACK TO BLACK will focus on Amy’s extraordinary genius, creativity and honesty that infused everything she did. A journey that took her from the craziness and colour of 90’s Camden High Street to global adoration - and back again, BACK TO BLACK crashes through the looking glass of celebrity to watch this journey from behind the mirror, to see what Amy saw, to feel what she felt.'
Scroll through to read up on other recent and upcoming biopics:
Elvis
Elvis, starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks was released on 24th June 2022. The film follows Elvis Presley's life and career, and is directed by Baz Luhrmann.
Elton John - Rocketman
Hugely popular biopic Rocketman was released in May 2019, following Elton John's life from his humble beginnings through until the 1980's. He wrote a brand new song, '(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again', for the film, winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. It starred Taron Egerton as Elton and Billy Elliot star Jamie Bell as Bernie Taupin. Elton's husband David was a co-producer on the film, which also won Taron a Golden Globe for Best Actor.
Click more to buy the DVD on Amazon.
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody was released in 2018 and tells the story of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury from his humble beginnings to one of the biggest stars in the world. The film culminates at the legendary Live Aid gig at Wembley Stadium in 1985. The film became a huge success and only increased the popularity of Queen. The musical film was nominated for numerous awards. The production won four times at the 91st Academy Awards including Best Actor for Rami Malek portrayal of Freddie, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing.
Click more to get the DVD on Amazon.
Alan McGee - Creation Stories
Released in 2021, Creation Stories tells the story of Alan McGee and Creation Records. The film was adapted by screenwriter Irvine Welsh from the Creation boss' 2013 autobiography of the same name. Alan McGee founded the independent Creation Records label in 1983 and worked with iconic bands including Primal Scream, The Boo Radleys, The Jesus and Mary Chain and perhaps most famously signed Oasis at their gig in Glasgow King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in 1993.
Johnny Cash - Walk The Line
Walk The Line tells to life story of legendary American Country singer-songwriter Johnny Cash. It is based on two of his autobiographies, Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words from 1975 and Cash: The Autobiography in 1997 and follows the story from his early life, romance with musician June Carter and his ascent into the domination of the Country music genre. The film was released in November 2005 and stars Reese Witherspoon and Joaquin Phoenix.
Click more to buy the DVD on Amazon.
24 Hour Party People
Released in 2002, 24 Hour Party People depicts the story of the Manchester music scene from 1976 to 1992 and the revolutionary independent record label Factory Records. The film begins with the explosion of Punk Rock in the late 1970s, moves through the 1980s and into the 'Madchester' rave scene of the 1990s revolving around the famous Hacienda nightclub. The main character is Factory founder Tony Wilson, played by Steve Coogan. The film dramatises events that actually happened, rumours and urban legends surrounding the scene, with characters often breaking the fourth wall to speak directly to the viewer. It features the careers of bands including the Happy Mondays, Joy Division, New Order and A Certain Ratio.
Click more to buy the DVD on Amazon.
Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
Released in 1970, Gimme Shelter depicts the Rolling Stones' 1969 US tour. The tour famously culminated at the Altamont Free Concert, which ended disastrously. At the concert held in California, where the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club supplied security for the gig Mick Jagger was punched in the head as he got off his helicopter and a fight erupted in the crowd during the third song of the set, 'Sympathy for the Devil'. Sadly, 18-year-old concertgoer Meredith Hunter was killed by one of the Hells Angels when he tried to climb onstage.
Dreamgirls
Originally a Broadway musical, the film Dreamgirls was released in 2006, taking strong inspiration from the history of the Motown Records label and their top girl group The Supremes. The film stars huge names including Jennifer Hudson, Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy and Danny Glover. The production received eight nominations at the 79th Academy Awards and took the top prize in two categories, Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Hudson and best Sound Mixing. It also won three Golden Globe Awards.
Click more to rent the film on Amazon Prime.
Aretha Franklin - Respect
Respect is music biopic released in 2021 about the life of one of the greatest American singers and civil rights activist, Aretha Franklin. Jennifer Hudson, who won an Oscar for her role in Dreamgirls, portrayed the 'Respect' singer in the film.
Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody
A film about the incredible life and career of singer and actress Whitney Houston was released in December 2022. Actress Naomi Ackie portrayed Whitney in the biopic, which was a huge success upon its release in cinemas.
Bob Marley - One Love
A film about the life and career of reggae legend Bob Marley was released in February 2024, with actor Kingsley Ben-Adir playing the role of Bob Marley in the biopic. Other huge names that feature in the film include Lashana Lynch, Michael Gandolfini, James Norton and Tosin Cole.
Boy George - Coming soon
Although there is no confirmation on who will star in the film, we anticipate Boy George's biopic Karma Chameleon to be a huge hit with the Culture Club singer's army of loyal fans. The film, which will depict Boy George's life from growing up in an Irish working-class family to becoming a music star in the 1980s, was initially thought to be getting a 2023 release date, however thanks to the script being reportedly re-written, it has now been reported that creators are hoping to begin filming by the end of 2024.
Bob Dylan - Coming soon
Oscar nominated actor Timothée Chalamet is set to portray Bob Dylan in an upcoming biopic about the music icon. The film will portray the musicians life and career, including his switch from folk to rock music. Work on the film was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic but we cannot WAIT to see it!
The Bee Gees - Coming soon
The forthcoming Bee Gees biopic is yet to be given a name but the film will follow the lives of brother Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb from their humble beginnings in Manchester to their pop and Disco superstardom. Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the trio will serve as executive producer. The band were recently the subject of documentary 'How Can You Mend a Broken Heart'.
Cher - Coming soon
Yes, that's right! Cher is getting her own musical biopic. Although no title has been confirmed, the film will portray the incredible life of the now 76-year-old. Cher has starred in a number of films herself, including most recently Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! featuring the music of ABBA.
Ronnie Spector - Coming soon
A film following The Ronette's rise to fame as well as lead singer Ronnie Spector's personal life is in the making. Although a release date has not been set, actress Zendaya has been chosen to play Ronnie.
Although the singer sadly passed away on 12th January 2022, she was an executive producer on the film and chose Zendaya for the role.
U2 series - Coming soon
A scripted series about U2 is in the early stages of development at Netflix. Director J.J. Abrams is attached to the series, as is Anthony McCarten who wrote the script for the Bohemian Rhapsody film.
Dolly Parton - In the works
Dolly Parton is working on the film adaption of her book Run, Rose, Run - which she will also star in - and is now in talks about making a musical film about her life.
Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne - Coming soon
Black Sabbath legend Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon will also be getting their very own biopic, focusing on a 20-year period of their lives. The film is currently untitled, having been first announced back in October 2021, and is set to feature Ozzy's music, with Sharon saying: "Our relationship at times was often wild, insane and dangerous but it was our undying love that kept us together. We're thrilled to partner with Sony Pictures and Polygram to bring our story to the screen." In 2024, Sharon also added that the film will be a tear-jerker.
Madonna - Put on hold
Madonna was working on a film about her life, and was co-writing and co-directing the biopic. Although Julie Garner was offered the lead role in June 2022, production of the film has been put on hold.
Madonna is going on her 'The Celebration Tour' across the world in 2023 and this is her focus, meaning she isn't able to work on her biopic and it has been put on pause.
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