Marisa Abela portrays the legendary Amy Winehouse in biopic from Nowhere Boy director
Back to Black is a musical-biopic directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson for Focus Features. The film is based on the life of Grammy-award winning vocalist and songwriter, Amy Winehouse, who tragically passed away in 2011 at the age of 27.
What is Back to Black about?
Back to Black follows Amy Winehouse's journey from the vibrant chaos of 2000s London to global fame and back; offering a raw and intimate perspective of a once-in-a-lifetime talent.
Winehouse's career, though sadly brief, showcased her as a phenomenal talent whose timeless voice resonates across generations. Her final album, 2006's "Back to Black" stands as one of the UK's top-selling albums of the 21st century. At the time of writing, it holds the second spot on the list behind Adele's "21." At the Grammy Awards in 2008, "Back to Black" won Best Pop Vocal Album and also secured a coveted nomination for Album of the Year. Her seminal track "Rehab" won Record of the Year, beating out such hits as Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable" and Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around... Comes Around."
Who worked behind-the-scenes of Back to Black?
Taylor-Johnson is best known for her directorial debut in 2009 with Nowhere Boy which served as an exploration of a teenaged John Lennon of The Beatles. Matt Greenhalgh wrote the film's screenplay; he previously earned a BAFTA nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for 2017's Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool. Producers on the film include Alison Owen, Debra Hayward and Nicky Kentish-Barnes.
Who stars in Back to Black?
Marisa Abela portrays Amy Winehouse in Back to Black. Her previous credits include HBO's Industry and 2022's Rogue Agent. She is joined by Jack O'Connell (Unbroken) as Winehouse's tumultuous partner, Blake Fielder-Civil. The rest of the cast includes Eddie Marsan (Happy-Go-Lucky) as Mitch Winehouse, Juliet Cowan (Back to Life) as Janis Winehouse, Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread) as Cynthia Winehouse and Jeff Tunke as music producer Mark Ronson.