Amy Winehouse‘s life story sounds just like a Hollywood movie — the tale of a woman who went from humble beginnings to a stellar singing career and then died at the tragically young age of 27.
So it’s no surprise that the tale of the five-Grammy-winning artist is finally going to be filmed.
Her family has signed a multi-million-dollar deal to make a biopic, which will be directed by veteran producer Alison Owen.
Winehouse’s story will be adapted for the big screen by Geoff Deane, who has written comedy movies “Kinky Boots” and “It’s A Boy Girl Thing.”
The Winehouse family signed the contracts with Owen’s company Monumental Pictures last week and the project is due to start filming next year.
It will be another high-profile mission for Owen, whose production successes include “Saving Mr. Banks” and “Suffragette.”
But they have yet to find an actress to play the icon behind hits including “Back to Black” and “Rehab” — with Winehouse’s father, Mitch, insisting Lady Gaga isn’t an option, despite her rave reviews for “A Star Is Born.”
Mitch said: “We have been approached many times.
“It’s obviously something that we are going to do, 100 percent. What we want is somebody to portray Amy in the way that she was … the funny, brilliant, charming and horrible person that she was.
“There’s no point really me making the film because I’m her dad. But to get the right people to do it, that’s very important, and we will.
“It wouldn’t be Lady Gaga. She doesn’t speak our kind of English.
“I wouldn’t mind betting it would be an unknown, young, English — London, Cockney — actress who looks a bit like Amy.”
He was speaking at the Amy Winehouse Foundation gala held at The Dorchester in London.
The news comes days after the Winehouse family announced that a hologram of Amy would be going on tour to raise funds for her foundation, which works to prevent the effects of alcohol and drug misuse in young people.
As Amy was such a well-loved figure in music, these filmmakers do need to tread carefully with this project.