Biopics can be really incredible pieces of media, especially for fans of particular legendary musicians who have since passed on. Films like I’m Not There and Walk The Line have managed to find the right balance between fact, fiction, and drama in a way that is both entertaining and informative about the artist’s life. Still, some of the most legendary musicians out there have not yet received respectful, authentic biopics. Let’s look at some examples.
1. Marvin Gaye
Quite a few Marvin Gaye documentaries have popped up through the years, including the one embedded above. There have also been rumors in recent years about a potential Gaye biopic. But as it stands, it doesn’t look like anything has been made official.
Videos by American Songwriter
Gaye’s life was tragic, despite the fact that he was so brilliant. Seeing a dramatization of the man behind the music would be interesting, to say the least.
2. Kurt Cobain
We’ve seen quite a few dramatizations and documentaries about Kurt Cobain’s death through the years. Honestly, it’s exhausting. And Cobain probably would have hated all of it.
However, it would be interesting to see a biopic about Cobain’s life seen through the lens of the grunge scene in the 1990s. We’ll probably never get such a thing, but we can hope.
3. Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin is one of the most well-known musicians from the 1960s who has never gotten a legitimate biopic. Her life was technically fictionalized in the Bette Midler movie The Rose, but there still has been no sign of an authentic biopic coming anytime soon.
4. Leonard Cohen
There is no one quite like Leonard Cohen, the incredible singer/songwriter who could explore complex themes about being human in a way that no one else could. To this day, there has been no news of a legit biopic about the “Hallelujah” singer. There have been documentaries in the past, as well as an in-the-works series about his muse Marianne Ihlen. Hopefully, someone will be able to turn Cohen’s life into a biopic with care someday.
Photo via Janis Joplin, ‘Pearl’ Album Cover, 1971
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