Billy Joel slams 'misguided' biopic plans

Billy Joel has slammed plans to bring his life to the big screen in a new biopic as "misguided".

The Piano Man, 77, is to be the subject of new movie Billy and Me which is set to chart his early years in the music industry through the eyes of his first manager, Irwin Mazur, but Billy has now criticised the project - insisting he does not support the plans and declaring the filmmakers will not be allowed to use any of his music.

A representative for Billy Joel told Variety: "Since 2021, the parties involved have been officially notified that they do not possess Billy Joel’s life rights and will not be able to secure the music rights required for this project.

"Billy Joel has not authorized or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided."

The movie is believed to be based on Mazur’s life story as well as the story of Billy Joel's longtime pal and drummer Jon Small, who is working on the film as a consultant, co-executive producer and second unit director.

Small said of the project: "This is the most honest, heartfelt, and authentic portrayal of Billy’s early life and rise to becoming one of the greatest musical voices of our time.

"Billy and Me is grounded in truth, shaped with care, and built with the insight of people who genuinely know and love Billy. As someone who was there from the very beginning, I can say this script captures not just the music, but the friendships, struggles, humor, and creative spark that defined those years ...

"Too often, stories about artists get lost in exaggeration or mythmaking.Billy and Me reflects the real history with integrity and respect.

"I first met Billy when he was 16 years old, and after reading the script, I felt the filmmakers truly understood who he was before the world knew his name."

Billy Me will be directed by John Ottman - who recently worked on Michael Jackson biopic Michael - has insisted he's looking forward to making the movie, saying: "I’m really proud of the development work Adam Ripp [who wrote the script] and I did to shape Billy Me into both a deeply emotional and fun story.

"This is the formative years of Billy and his relationship with Irwin Mazur, the man who recognized Billy’s amazing talent even before Billy did himself.

"Sure, the long hair, cigarette smoke and authentic look of the period turns me on as a filmmaker, but what truly drew me to the material was the humanity at its core.

"It’s funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately very inspiring."