FromBohemian RhapsodytoRocketman, the last decade has given us some terrifically put-together biopics surrounding the brightest stars in the music industry. And, while we’re looking forward to the arrival ofBack to Black, a film that will tell the story of the legendary singerAmy Winehouse, we’re also going into things fully prepared to have our hearts broken. Despite the bittersweet feelings we have surrounding theSam Taylor-Johnson-helmed feature that arrives first in the UK on April 12, followed by a U.S. release on May 17, we’re excited to get a look at the film’s first full trailer which was dropped today.
Sticking close to the truth behindWinehouse’s meteoric yet short-lived ride to fame,Back to Blacktakes audiences to the singer’s early days performing as a North London jazz musician alongside her band. Her one-of-a-kind voice and devil-may-care attitude certainly helped launch Winehouse, who will be portrayed byIndustry’sMarisa Abela, as she stood out among the other pop stars of the time both in sound and look. The film also puts the up-and-coming star on a path of destruction as she meets her future ex-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil (Jack O’Connell,Lady Chatterley’s Lover), and clashes with her family.
Along with Abela and O’Connell,Back to Blackalso starsEddie Marsan(Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre) as Amy Winehouse’s father, Mitch Winehouse, withJuliet Cowan(The Sarah Jane Adventures) as the late singer-songwriter’s mother, Janis Winehouse-Collins. Filling out the leading call sheet is Oscar nomineeLesley Manville(Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris), who will portray Amy Winehouse’s grandmother, Cynthia Winehouse.
How Close To The Real Story Will ‘Back to Black’ Get?
While the film will, of course, be adramatic retelling of Winehouse’s life, Taylor-Johnson (50 Shades of Gray) and the rest ofthe creative team, including scribeMatt Greenhalgh(Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool), tried to keep things as real as possible. Not only did they tap into the complicated relational dynamics between the Grammy-winning artist and her ex-husband and parents, respectively, but they also ventured to many of the real places where Winehouse used to perform. The cast and crew traveled around London, filming at many spots where Winehouse performed while on her rise to stardom, including Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, where she first got her bearings.
From what we’ve seen so far, including today’s newest trailer, there’s no doubt that the life and legacy of Winehouse is in the right hands with the folks behindBack to Black. Check out the trailer below and see the extraordinary tale for yourself in theaters in the UK on April 12 and in the U.S. on May 17. In the meantime,read everything we know about the project here.
Back to Black
It chronicles the life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.
