EXCLUSIVE: Following years of Hollywood working on getting a biopic of Amy Winehouse off the ground, Sources tell Deadline Studiocanal is gearing up to make Back to Black, a new film about the life of the Grammy wining singer who tragically passed in 2011 with Fifty Shades of Director Sam Taylor-Johnson directing. The script has been written by Matt Greenhalgh and the project is now moving fast following Taylor-Johnson boarding the pic. Studiocanal is producing with Alison Owen and Debra Hayward alongside Tracey Seaward.
The film is expected to take a look at the life and music of Winehouse who started off as a budding North London jazz singer to eventually becoming a Grammy-winning music superstar with hit records that included Rehab and Back To Black. Her life would eventually be cut short in 2011 at age 27 following a long battle with alcohol and drugs
Following her death in 2011, Hollywood has since tried to tell her story with various projects going into development including one from Lotus Entertainment with Noomi Rapace attached to star but ultimately none moving forward. While a feature film has yet to make it into production, the 2015 A24 doc Amy was a huge success ultimately winning the Oscar for best documentary.
This pic is being made with full support from the Amy Winehouse estate and producers and Taylor-Johnson will begin their search for the individual who will take on the role of Winehouse in the weeks to come.
Taylor-Johnson is best known for helping launch the Fifty Shades of Grey franchise after directing the first film to box-office glory. That film would go on to gross $569 million at the global box-office. She most recently worked on the Amazon series Solos.
She is repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners.