Amy Winehouse’s Family Had “No Involvement’ in ‘Back to Black’ Biopic

The director of the upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic ‘Back To Black’ has disclosed that the singer’s family had no say in the making of the film. Named after Winehouse’s renowned sophomore album, the movie will feature Marisa Abela from ‘Industry’ portraying Winehouse and will delve into her time in London and her swift ascent to stardom.

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson, in a recent chat with Empire, explained that although they met with Winehouse’s family as a gesture of respect, they were not involved in the creative decisions of the film.

“It was important to meet with them out of respect. But they have no involvement in terms of… like, they couldn’t change things. They couldn’t dictate how I was to shoot. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have done it,” said Taylor-Johnson.

Despite this, she mentioned that Winehouse’s father, Mitch, has watched the biopic, although she hasn’t spoken to him personally. “I know he saw the film. I wasn’t there. I haven’t spoken to him. I think he keeps his feelings pretty much to himself. The important thing for me was not to have any of that noise in my sphere while making the film,” Taylor-Johnson remarked.

“And I didn’t need the family’s approval. All the music rights were approved by Universal and Sony. So what I wanted as much as possible was the truth of Amy and Amy’s relationship was that she loved her dad, whether we think he did right or wrong.”

Also Read: Amy Winehouse Biopic: Everything You Need to Know

Writer Matt Greenhalgh, who collaborated with Taylor-Johnson on ‘Nowhere Boy,’ expressed that the film aimed to narrate the story from Winehouse’s perspective, drawing on her lyrics for inspiration. “It’s a creative film. I know a lot of people still can’t understand and still can’t get their heads around it. It’s my take on Amy’s life and then it’s Sam’s take on Amy’s life. And then it’s Marisa and Jack [O’Connell]’s take on Amy and Blake. In the end, it’s all subjective, but you hope that opinion is accepted and embraced by your audience,” Greenhalgh commented.

Despite the family’s lack of involvement in the film’s production, Winehouse’s parents had previously given their approval for the project, expressing their excitement for the celebration of their daughter’s musical legacy. “We are thrilled that StudioCanal, Focus Features and Monumental are making this movie celebrating our daughter Amy’s extraordinary music legacy and showcasing her talent in the way that it deserves,” they stated.