A biopic chronicling the early life of legendary rockstar Billy Joel is in the works, though the piano man himself isn’t affiliated with the project, and he’s calling out the film as “both legally and professionally misguided.”
John Ottman, who edited the recently released Michael, is directing Billy & Me, and Adam Ripp is writing the screenplay. For the project, Ottman and Ripp secured the life rights of Billy Joel‘s former manager, Irwin Mazur, as well as Jon Small, a longtime friend of Joel’s. But as a rep for Joel says, the singer has been in touch with the filmmakers for several years to confirm that they do not have his own rights for the picture.
“Since 2021, the parties involved have been officially notified that they do not possess Billy Joel’s life rights and will not be able to secure the music rights required for this project,” Joel’s rep said in a statement. “Billy Joel has not authorized or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided.”
Given the years-long development timeline, it’s unclear if Ottman’s plan for the film was always an unauthorized biopic, or if the hope had initially been that Joel would give his blessing. Ottman has been affiliated with some of the biggest biopics of the past decade. Aside from Michael, he also served as editor on the 2018 biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, which won him an Oscar for best film editing.
When contacted by The Hollywood Reporter, Ripp offered some clarity on the biopic. “Billy & Me is specifically not a traditional cradle-to-grave Billy Joel biopic, nor is it dependent on Billy Joel’s original music catalog,” he wrote. “The film takes place during Billy’s formative years — before the fame, before the fortune, and before the iconic songs that made him ‘The Piano Man.’ Much of the period depicted centers around Billy’s early years performing cover songs with The Hassles and struggling to find his artistic identity as a young musician.”
“At no point have we ever claimed to control or possess rights to Billy Joel’s original songs, nor has this film ever been conceived around the use of his hit catalog. The project was always designed as an intimate origin story focused on the people and relationships surrounding Billy during this specific period of his life,” he continued. “The film is told primarily through the point of view of Irwin Mazur, who discovered Billy as a teenager and managed him for approximately seven years. We hold the exclusive life rights to Irwin Mazur.”
“Additionally, we also hold the life rights to Billy’s lifelong best friend and original drummer, Jon Small, who is actively involved in the production as a consultant, co-executive producer, and second unit director. Jon personally consulted on the screenplay and fully endorses the film as someone who lived through and experienced the events portrayed firsthand,” Ripp concluded. “We have tremendous respect for Billy Joel and his extraordinary legacy. Our intention has always been to tell an honest, heartfelt story about the early years of a young artist before the world knew his name.”
Variety first reported the news on the project.