Johnny Flynn to play David Bowie in biopic Stardust
Singer and actor Johnny Flynn, who starred in British thriller Beast and Glasgow-set comedy Lovesick, will play David Bowie in biopic Stardust; Bowie's son, Duncan Jones, criticised the project
Talk about under pressure! Actor and musician Johnny Flynn, perhaps best known for his charismatic turn in British thriller Beast, is set to play David Bowie in Stardust, the upcoming biopic of the late singer. The news was announced on Screen Daily, who also revealed Jena Malone will play the singer’s wife, Angie Bowie, and comedian Marc Maron will play Bowie’s publicist. What do you reckon? Is that casting hunky dory? Or do you think there should be some ch-ch-changes?
Someone who won’t be dancing in the street is David Bowie’s son, the filmmaker Duncan Jones. "I think this journalist needs to do some investigative reporting," Jones wrote on Twitter when the casting news broke last night. "Pretty certain nobody has been granted music rights for ANY biopic... I would know."
"I’m not saying this movie is not happening," he continued. "I honestly wouldn't know. I’m saying that as it stands, this movie won't have any of dad’s music in it, an I can't imagine that changing. If you want to see a biopic without his music or the family's blessing, that’s up to the audience."
Im not saying this movie is not happening. I honestly wouldn't know.
— Duncan Jones (@ManMadeMoon) January 31, 2019
Im saying that as it stands, this movie won't have any of dads music in it, & I can't imagine that changing. If you want to see a biopic without his music or the families blessing, thats up to the audience.
This wouldn’t be the first Bowie biopic to run into rights trouble. Todd Haynes’ sumptuous glam rock picture Velvet Goldmine featured a Bowie-esque figure, but Haynes wasn’t permitted to use any of the artist’s music in the film.
Glam-era biopics seem to be all the rage at the minute, though. Freddie Mercury film Bohemian Rhapsody is currently breaking box-office records for a musical biopic, while Dexter Fletcher – who actually completed Bohemian Rhapsody after credited director Bryan Singer was fired – is currently making a film about Elton John’s life and career called Rocketman, with Taron Egerton as the singer.
The creative team behind Stardust – director Gabriel Range and writer Christopher Bell – are surely hoping to follow Bohemian Rhapsody’s box-office success, but without Bowie’s music, will the film turn out to be a moonage daydream?