Zendaya to Star as Ronnie Spector in Biopic Directed by ‘Moonlight’s’ Barry Jenkins

Zendaya will star in ‘Be My Baby,’ a biopic about music legend Ronnie Spector, which will be directed by Oscar-winning Barry Jenkins.

 After fighting cancer, the late lead vocalist of The Ronettes died in January 2022, leaving a lasting legacy that impacted musicians like Amy Winehouse and The Ramones.  After years of talks between Zendaya and A24 to produce the movie, Jenkins, who has worked on ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’—has now formally joined the project.

Instead of adhering to the conventional biography approach, the movie will concentrate on drawing viewers into Spector's life, especially her interactions with the problematic producer Phil Spector.  Spector's book, ‘Be My Baby’, will serve as the basis for the screenplay, which was written by David Kajganich, the author of ‘Suspiria’ and ‘Bones and All’.  Prior to her death, Spector reportedly personally selected Zendaya to assume the role of producer.

Image Courtesy: Zendaya/ Instagram

 After working together on ‘Euphoria’ and the upcoming comedy ‘The Drama’, Zendaya and A24 are working together once more.

The project, which is now in pre-production and has no set release date, will add to Zendaya's already full schedule.  She has been revealed as a new voice actor for ‘Shrek 5’, and she is now working with Christopher Nolan on ‘The Odyssey’.  ‘Euphoria’ Season 3 and both projects are scheduled for release in 2026.

 Jenkins further solidifies his name as a filmmaker known for compelling and memorable storytelling. Jenkins also produced and directed the widely acclaimed 2021 miniseries ‘The Underground Railroad’.

–Farheen Ali