Although it can be challenging to identify objective cultural trends in our fragmented present, there is at least one prominent trend that you cannot overlook: the surge of biopic films. In 2023, Oppenheimer took home the Best Picture Oscar and nearly reached a billion dollars at the box office, while films like The Iron Claw, Blonde, Dear Richard, Maestro, and Hillbilly Elegy have generated significant discussion over recent years for various reasons. Biographical narratives are currently a major focus not only in Hollywood but also in more "serious" cinema. The 2025 release schedule is filled with acclaimed filmmakers working on adaptations of real-life stories, such as Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, his brother Josh’s Marty Supreme, Derek Cianfrance’s Roofman, and Richard Linklater's biopic duo with the Lorenz Harz-focused Blue Moon and Jean-Luc Godard-themed Nouvelle Vague.
These examples don't even encompass the numerous historical films launched in the 2020s, including Napoleon, Killers of the Flower Moon, Mank, Ammonite, and The Trial of the Chicago 7, nor the most commercially appealing subset of biographical films: the music biopic. Before we delve into this, it’s worth pondering why films based on "real" narratives (to varying extents) have become so popular nowadays. As always, it comes down to the money. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed the cinema-going habits of the Western public. While estimates differ, some studies suggest that cinema attendance has plummeted by a staggering one-third compared to pre-pandemic levels. This has made an already IP-obsessed Hollywood even more averse to risk. What more reliable and profitable projects are there for studios to invest in than the stories of well-known figures? They either come with established fanbases or, as seen in films like The Apprentice or Judas and the Black Messiah, can resonate with and leverage current zeitgeist issues.
Biopic films have been part of cinematic history for quite some time. The first feature-length biopic is thought to be 1906's The Story of the Kelly Gang, while the first to depict a musical figure is widely recognized as 1954's The Glenn Miller Story, starring James Stewart—a significant box office hit that also produced a chart-topping soundtrack. Biopics continued to enjoy modest success, with Gandhi, Amadeus, and The Last Emperor winning Best Picture in the 1980s alone. However, it wasn’t until the 2000s that biopics firmly established themselves in mainstream cinema. Films such as The Aviator, Catch Me If You Can, Ali, and Ray achieved both critical and commercial acclaim in the 2000s, while the 2010s produced hits like Green Book, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Greatest Showman, the latter of which bends the definition of being "based on a true story."
It was 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody that now seems to mark the starting point for the current wave of biopics, particularly those centered on iconic musicians. The story of Freddie Mercury grossed over $900 million and found notable success in foreign markets like Japan, which accounted for over $100 million of its earnings. In retrospect, one can imagine Hollywood executives seeing dollar signs. In the following years, films such as 2019’s Rocketman, 2022’s Elvis, and upcoming releases like 2024’s Bob Marley: One Love and 2025’s A Complete Unknown have also achieved moderate box office success. Conversely, others, such as the much-discussed Robbie Williams flop Better Man, the critical and financial disappointment Back to Black about Amy Winehouse, and the unconventional parody Weird: The Al Yankovic Story have been less successful in various ways. As of now, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere has just premiered, so we are yet to evaluate its impact.
One source indicates that from 2020 to 2024, there was a 325% increase in music-themed biopic film listings on IMDB compared to the same period three decades ago. This recent surge pales in comparison to the numerous films currently in development. According to reports from major Hollywood trade publications over the last two years, there are many biographical movies in the pipeline about the lives of Michael Jackson, Queen Latifah, The Beatles (four times), Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, Rosetta Tharpe, Boyz II Men, Sublime, Snoop Dogg, Frédéric Chopin, Bee Gees, Ronnie Spector, Janis Joplin, George Clinton, Blondie, Otis and Zelma Redding, Josephine Baker, Britney Spears, Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithfull, Nat King Cole, KISS, Sinéad O’Connor, Scorpions, Billy Joel, The Replacements, Robert Johnson, Air Supply, Keith Moon, Linda Ronstadt
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Although it can often be challenging to identify objective cultural trends in our disjointed present, there is at least one evident trend that you will not have