Editor and director John Ottman is ready to direct “Billy & Me”, a characteristic movie chronicling the childhood of celebrity singer-pianist Billy Joel.
“Billy & Me” tells the origin story of Joel earlier than fame, earlier than the hits — and, considerably, earlier than “Piano Man,” the 1973 tune and album that lofted him to stardom. The movie is instructed by means of the eyes of Joel’s first supervisor, Irwin Mazur, who found the singer in 1966, signed him in 1970 and oversaw his profession as much as his breakthrough cope with Columbia Data in 1972.
Casting is presently underway, with manufacturing slated for this fall in Winnipeg, Canada and New York. The movie follows the two-part 2025 HBO documentary on the singer, “And So It Goes.”
The manufacturing has secured Mazur’s unique life rights, in addition to these of Joel’s longtime good friend, drummer and video director Jon Small, who can also be on board as a advisor, co-executive producer and second unit director. Small was Joel’s drummer of their early band the Hassles, in addition to Attila, a little-known acid-rock duo comprised of him and Joel that launched an album in 1970. That album is deeply incongruous with the singer’s different work — Joel has described it in no unsure phrases as “psychedelic bullshit.”
It’s also unclear how or whether or not Elizabeth Weber, Joel’s first spouse and the topic of “She’s Always a Woman,” “Just the Way You Are” and lots of of his different hits, and will likely be portrayed within the movie. She was married to Small and left him for Joel, resulting in the breakup of Attila, earlier than the couple themselves cut up up, components that contributed to the singer spiraling into a deep depression and suicide attempts, as he mentioned in “And So It Goes.” Small discovered Joel and rushed him to the hospital after the second try, and the 2 reconciled, as did Joel and Weber, who later turned his supervisor.
A rep for Joel, who apparently has not licensed the biopic, didn’t instantly reply to Selection‘s request for remark.
Most not too long ago, Ottman served as lead editor on the “Michael” biopic and oversaw all inventive elements of submit manufacturing, together with shaping performances, directing ADR, and supervising the ultimate combine. Filmmaker Adam Ripp is ready to jot down the script and can produce the movie beneath his ArtPhyl Footage banner.
Small says, “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. ‘Billy & Me’ is grounded in truth, shaped with care, and built with the insight of people who genuinely know and love Billy. As someone who was there from the very beginning, I can say this script captures not just the music, but the friendships, struggles, humor, and creative spark that defined those years.”
He continues, “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.”
Ottman says, “I’m really proud of the development work Adam Ripp and I did to shape ‘Billy & Me’ into both a deeply emotional and fun story. This is the formative years of Billy and his relationship with Irwin Mazur, the man who recognized Billy’s amazing talent even before Billy did himself. Sure, the long hair, cigarette smoke and authentic look of the period turns me on as a film-maker, but what truly drew me to the material was the humanity at its core.” Ottman added, “It’s funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately very inspiring.”
Financing is being assembled by Jay Cohen, former Accomplice and Head of Movie Finance and Distribution on the Gersh Company, who can also be representing home distribution. The movie’s govt music producer is Grammy Award nominated music govt Mitchell Leib, who spent almost three a long time as President of Music and Soundtracks at The Walt Disney Studios.
Ottman is represented by David Gersh and Abram Nalibotsky on the Gersh Company. Ripp is represented by Trevor Engelson at Underground.
Further reporting by Jem Aswad.
