Billy Joel’s Rep Denounces Upcoming Biopic: ‘Legally and Professionally Misguided’
A rep for the singer said that Joel "has not authorized or supported" the making of the John Ottman-directed film Billy & Me
A new biopic chronicling the early years of Billy Joel is officially in development, with editor and director John Ottman attached to helm the project. However, a spokesperson for the singer-songwriter said that Joel has not authorized the film.
“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,” the rep told Rolling Stone in a statement. “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.”
According to Variety, Billy & Me will be told through the perspective of Joel’s first manager, Irwin Mazur, who discovered the future star in 1966 and officially signed him as a client in 1970. Under Mazur’s guidance, Joel would go on to secure a recording contract with Columbia Records in 1972, helping set the stage for his eventual global success.
In a statement to Rolling Stone, Ottman stated that the film is “told from the perspective of Irwin Mazur, and we hold the exclusive life rights to Irwin Mazur,” adding, the biopic “neither depicts nor seeks to use any of Billy Joel’s original music because it takes place during his formative years performing cover songs with The Hassles and struggling to find his artistic identity.”
Ottman addressed the statement from Joel’s spokesperson and said, “to characterize the project as ‘legally and professionally misguided’ does not accurately reflect the actual nature of the film or the rights underlying the production.” The director added, “the project is based on Irwin Mazur’s firsthand experiences and his legitimate right to tell his own life story and perspective surrounding the events depicted in the film.”
Production also secured life rights to Joel’s longtime friend, drummer, and video director Jon Small, who is set to serve as a consultant, co-executive producer, and second unit director on the film, per Variety. Filmmaker Adam Ripp is writing the screenplay, and the project will be produced under his ArtPhyl Pictures company.
“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,” Small said of the film. “Billy & Me is grounded in truth, shaped with care, and built with the insight of people who genuinely know and love Billy,” he continued. “Too often, stories about artists get lost in exaggeration or mythmaking. Billy & 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.”Casting for Billy & Me is currently underway, with production scheduled to begin in fall 2026, with locations in Canada and New York. Trending Stories Honoring the Music That Made Us TikTok Influencer Charged With Conspiracy to Murder Why Don’t We Singer Jack Avery Who Is Chud the Builder, a N-Word-Using Content Creator Accused of Shooting a Black Man? Drake’s ‘Iceman’ Trilogy Turns ‘Not Like Us’ Inside Out
Prior to Billy & Me, Ottman worked as lead editor on the Michael Jackson biopic Michael, which was released earlier this year to massive commercial success and fanfare.
This article was updated on May 19 at 9:48 p.m. ET to include a statement from John Ottman.
