GRAMMY-WINNER LIZZO TO PLAY LEGENDARY SINGER IN NEW BIOPIC PRODUCED BY FOREST WHITAKER

Four-time Grammy Award winner Lizzo is officially going Hollywood as one of the world's most popular artists is set to star as a legendary musician in new music biopic for Amazon MGM Studios.

Per Variety, Lizzo is set to star as legendary musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the film, Rosetta, from producers Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi, and Kevin Beisler. In addition to starring in the film, Lizzo will also serve as a producer. Natalie Chaidez (The Flight Attendant, 12 Monkeys) and Kwynn Perry (Tigerbelles) serve as writers for the movie, however, no director is attached to the project yet. Tharpe rose to prominence as a gospel singer in the 1930s and would become a major influence for many rock & roll artists including Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.

According to an official description for the film, Rosetta "captures a pivotal period in her life — one of groundbreaking innovation, defiant passion, and secret love. As she shatters musical boundaries with her signature guitar sound, Rosetta must navigate societal constraints, conceal her love for another woman, and ultimately transform a wedding into one of the most legendary concerts in history — the first stadium show." There is no official release date for Rosetta.

Rosetta Tharpe Appeared in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis

Having been a major influence on Presley, Tharpe was portrayed in Baz Luhrmann's Oscar-nominated film, Elvis, by musician Yola. The singer-songwriter starred alongside Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Luke Bracey. Elvis was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and earned Butler his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Elvis earned a 77% score on Rotten Tomatoes and was a box office success as well. Elvis earned $288 million at the worldwide box office against a reported budget of $85 million. That was enough to make Luhrmann’s biopic the 16th highest-grossing film of 2022 in a year filled with heavy-hitters such as Avatar: The Way of Water and Top Gun: Maverick. Elvis is currently not on any streaming services, but it is available to rent or purchase on VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Prime Video, and Fandango at Home.

There is no official release date for Rosetta.

Source: Variety

2025-03-25T08:36:16Z