With the recent successes of musician biopics like Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody, it should not be a surprise to learn that Hollywood would attempt to get a biopic about one of history’s greatest musicians, David Bowie, off the ground.
Unfortunately the biopic, titled Stardust, ran into some problems earlier this year when it became apparent that Salon Pictures neglected to consult Bowie’s family before going ahead with the project. According to Pitchfork, the producers are actively avoiding referring to the project as an official “biopic.” Regardless, the story of Stardust will take place during the 1970’s and will follow the journey of the late great David Bowie when he was creating his famous Ziggy Stardust persona.
Some images for Stardust have already been released, giving the world its first sneak peak at actor Johnny Flynn in the role of Bowie. Flynn is probably best known for his role on the British sitcom Lovesick and an appearance in the movie Beast, but he is also a musician in his own right. Some of Stardust‘s other cast members include Jena Malone and comedian Marc Maron. The film is being directed by Gabriel Range with a screenplay written by Christopher Bell.
Since Stardust will be an unofficial biopic (whatever that means) we cannot be certain that any of Bowie’s music will make it into the final product. Given how Duncan Jones, David Bowie’s son, announced on Twitter that he would not be granting the filmmakers the rights to his father’s music, it’s hard to tell how this film will turn out.