Billy Joel Biopic Piano Man Officially in the Works
A Billy Joel biopic, Piano Man, is officially in the works. The Long Island singer-songwriter is one of the most prominent rock artists of his time, having released 13 studio albums, including the titular Piano Man. That album went multi-platinum, selling more than four million copies.
Variety reports that Black Dynamite star Michael Jai White's production company, Jaigantic Studios, has greenlit a film based on the rock star's life. Adam Ripp is slated to write, produce, and direct the feature. According to the report, Jaigantic acquired the life rights of Billy Joel's first manager, Irwin Mazur, who represented the singer from 1965 to 1972. This particular time period means the movie will likely focus on the singer's early years. That era includes Joel's discovery by Mazur in 1965 at the age of 16 all the way to 1972, when Joel made waves in Philadelphia with his hit Captain Jack, garnering the attention of Columbia Records president Clive Davis. Captain Jack would later be featured on Piano Man, Joel's debut album.
Related: Bohemian Rhapsody's True Story: Everything The Inaccurate Queen Movie Changed
Along with Michael Jai White and Ripp, Piano Man will be produced by Mazur, Mayne Berke, and Donovan de Boer. Ripp is the son of record producer Artie Ripp, who first signed Billy Joel as a solo artist in 1971. Joel's representatives said that the singer would not be involved with the project in any way as no life rights have been granted to Jaigantic Studios.
Biopics of musicians have proven popular in the past with classics such as La Bamba, The Buddy Holly Story, and Coal Miner's Daughter. The genre has seen a recent resurgence with a slew of hit releases including the Oscar-winning Bohemian Rhapsody about Queen
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