While superhero films are making their way to the big screen, some filmmakers have picked up on the biopics trend and have started to make movies based on the life of the legendary global icons. However, biopics can be a great challenge as every little detail of the person’s life must be brought out onto the screen and the storytelling must be accurate. If the biopic is done wrong, it can be downright terrible and offensive.
Here, we’ve gathered the upcoming biopics you should watch out for – from fashion designer to criminal to singer – you will learn about their stories on the big screen soon.
1. Aaliyah
R&B pop singer Aaliyah was one of the most talented singers in the music industry before she died tragically in a 2001 plane crash. At that time, she was only 22 years old and she was at the peak of her music career. It was recently announced that Disney’s star Zendaya will portray her role as Aaliyah in Lifetime’s upcoming movie, “Aaliyah: Princess of R&B”. The biopic is based on her biography “Aaliyah: More Than a Woman” and it will tell the inspirational journey of her life for being one of the most successful singers and 90s R&B icon.
2. Whitney Houston
It’d require incredibly good vocals and a whole lot of confidence for someone to portray her role as Whitney Houston in Lifetime’s upcoming biopic. As it turns out, the model-turned-actress Yaya Dacosta fits the requirements as she is set to play the late singer in the biopic. It was reported that the biopic will tell the story of the singer’s early relationship with Bobby Brown and it will be released in 2015.
3. Kray Twins
Image: Tom Hardy as Ronnie and Reggie Kray
The Kray twins, the British gangster twins built up their criminal empire in the East End of England and became one of the most famous criminals of all time. The twins’ personalities are very different from each other but they are both manipulative. All the vicious crimes committed by the Kray twins will be documented into a biopic titled “Legend”. Both twin brothers, Ronnie and Reggie Kray, will be played by Tom Hardy (as seen in the image above) and it was reported that the actor will be playing Elton John in a separate biopic “Rocketman” as well.
4. Hank Williams
With hits like “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”, Hank Williams shot to fame with his melodic country music and became one of the America’s first country musicians. The country musician later died of a heart attack at the age of 29 in 1953. However, his songs are still very much alive until today and his grandsons are also some of the most popular country musicians in America. His musical journey and his personal life will be documented into a biopic titled “I Saw The Light”. The British actor Tom Hiddeston has been cast as the country singer and yes, he will be singing in the film too.
5. YSL
Yves Saint Laurent, the ground-breaking designer has always influenced the fashion industry with his designs in countless ways -even until today. Throughout his entire life and his whole career as a designer, there were a lot of untold stories behind Saint Laurent’s successful life as he sacrificed his energy to create masterpieces for his collection. Thus, this biopic will explore the most interesting parts of his life as well as how fame affected his personal life.
6. Big Eyes
Directed by Tim Burton, “Big Eyes” is an upcoming biopic about the complicated relationship between the painter Margaret Keane and her husband as they rose to fame for their phenomenal works in the 1950s. All their paintings (which featured big-eyed children) became instantly popular in the 1950s to the 1960s. However, both artists got into a legal battle as both trying to prove who’s the actual painter of drawings. The biopic is set to release on Christmas Day 2014 and the couple will be played by Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams.
(Source)