Billy Joel Biopic Billy and Me Tunes Up for the Big Screen
Just announced, Billy and Me dives into the dramatic, never-before-told origin of music legend Billy Joel.
Billy Joel is finally getting an origin story on film. It is called 'Billy and Me', and it is not a glossy jukebox victory lap. This one digs into the messy, early years before the hits, when the songs were coming from real chaos.
The angle
Director John Ottman is telling Joel's pre-fame story through the eyes of Irwin Mazur, Joel's first manager. Mazur spotted him back in 1966, officially signed him in 1970, and steered things right up to Joel's Columbia Records deal in 1972. In other words: this is all leading up to, but stops short of, 'Piano Man' in 1973.
The film is promising to actually go there: Joel's early romantic wreckage and the personal trauma that bled into his songwriting; his detour into the organ-and-drums acid-rock duo Attila with drummer Jon Small; and the relationship rupture that, by their account, nearly cost him his life. Small, who is consulting on the movie, calls it the most honest take on those years.
It is funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately very inspiring.
- John Ottman, on the script
Who's making it, and what they are claiming
- Director: John Ottman is set to direct 'Billy and Me'. Production is slated to start this fall in Winnipeg and New York.
- Writer/Producer: Adam Ripp is writing the script and producing under his ArtPhyl Pictures banner.
- Point of view: The story is framed through Irwin Mazur, who discovered Joel in 1966, signed him in 1970, and managed him through the Columbia deal in 1972.
- Life rights and consultant: The production has secured the exclusive life rights of Mazur and Jon Small. Small is on board as a consultant.
- What they promise: The team keeps stressing factual accuracy over embellishment, focusing on real friendships, creative sparks, and the rough edges that shaped Joel's voice.
- Business side: Financial and domestic distribution are being handled by industry veterans, including music executive Mitchell Leib.
Bottom line
According to Variety, this is the rare musician biopic aiming to be specific, not sanitized. The frame through Mazur is a smart way to keep the timeline tight (pre-'Piano Man') and, if they stick to the 'no fluff' promise, it could land closer to a character study than a karaoke reel. We will see how unvarnished it really gets once cameras roll this fall.