Universal Pictures to produce Bon Jovi biopic
What's the story
Universal Pictures has won a bidding war to produce a feature film about the legendary rock band, Bon Jovi, according to Variety. The movie will be written by Cody Brotter, who is also working on the upcoming crypto thriller Killing Satoshi. The studio has not yet announced a director or cast for the project.
Film details
Band's journey will be at the center of the film
The film will chronicle the journey of Bon Jovi, a band that gave us some of the biggest rock songs of the 1980s. The band's classic hits include Livin' on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name, and It's My Life. Formed in 1983, it featured frontman Jon Bon Jovi, drummer Tico Torres, and keyboardist David Bryan, along with guitarist Richie Sambora, who left the group in 2013, and the late bassist Alec John Such, who exited in 1994.
Legacy
Project being produced by Religion of Sports
Bon Jovi has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The biopic is expected to draw from the band's decades-long legacy, though it remains unclear which part of their story will serve as the central narrative. The project is being produced by Kevin J. Walsh and Gotham Chopra of Religion of Sports, with Universal's Jacqueline Garell overseeing it for the studio.
Biopic trend
Similar films have done well in recent years
The Bon Jovi biopic comes at a time when music-focused films are ruling the global box office. Recent hits include Elvis, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Bob Marley: One Love. However, not all musical biopics have been successful; movies like Back to Black (Amy Winehouse) failed to make a mark despite high expectations. Other music-centric projects in the works include four interconnected Beatles films by Sam Mendes at Sony and Michael (Michael Jackson), which is set to release in April.