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Artist News
Planned David Bowie biopic doesn’t have “the family’s blessing”
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 1 February 2019
Actor and musician Johnny Flynn will play a young David Bowie in a new biopic about the star, it has been announced. I can see that working. It sounds all fine to me. Though the film is already stirring up controversy because Bowie’s son, Duncan Jones, has said that the project does not have the approval of his family and will not feature any of his music.
According to Deadline, the film, titled ‘Stardust’, will tell the story of Bowie’s first trip to the US in 1971, which inspired his character Ziggy Stardust. As well as Flynn, actor Jena Malone has been cast to play Bowie’s first wife, Angie, and comedian Marc Maron will play a record company publicist.
In response to the news about the film, Jones tweeted: “Pretty certain nobody has been granted music rights for ANY biopic. I would know”.
He added: “I’m not saying this movie is not happening. I honestly wouldn’t know. I’m saying that as it stands, this movie won’t have any of dad’s music in it, and 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”.
Asked what Bowie movie, if any, he would approve of, he pitched an animated film using his father’s various characters, directed by Peter Ramsey and written by Neil Gaiman. Just so you know.
