Amy Winehouse Biopic First Trailer Starring Marisa Abela
Marisa Abela transforms herself into Amy Winehouse in the first teaser trailer for the late singer’s upcoming biopic Back to Black. Directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey), Industry star Abela portrays the “Rehab” singer. Winehouse died at the age of 27 due to accidental alcohol poisoning in the summer of 2011. The teaser shows glimpses of Winehouse’s success and struggles as she rises from an unknown singer to the global musical icon. The clip also covers Winehouse’s more personal life, including her romance with Blake Fielder-Civil (played by Skins alum Jack O’Connell). It also looks at her close relationship with her mother, Janis Winehouse (portrayed by Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris star Lesley Manville). Iconic events from the English singer-songwriter’s life are recreated for the film, including her infamous 2008 Grammy performance. The cast also includes Eddie Marsan, Bronson Webb, Ansu Kabia, and Harley Bird.
Back to Black
“I don’t write songs to be famous,” Abela’s Winehouse says in the teaser. “I write songs ’cause I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t.” Mirroring the biopic’s title, “Back to Black,” plays after her opening lines. The teaser trailer shows the Dublin Castle, a venue Winehouse often visited, performed, and got engaged at. “I want people to hear my voice and just forget their troubles. I want to be remembered for just being me,” Abela’s voice continues at the end of the teaser.
According to a press release, Back to Black was made with the full support of the Amy Winehouse Estate, Universal Music Group, and Sony Music Publishing. The movie is billed as a “never-before-seen glimpse” into the Grammy winner’s early, intense journey to fame and the release of her groundbreaking studio album. Director Taylor-Johnson says of Abela starring as Winehouse: “The moment she looked into the lens at her first audition, I knew she was the perfect actor to play Amy Winehouse. She put in an enormous amount of work, attention to every detail, and she trained daily for hours to be able to sing throughout the entire movie. She doesn’t impersonate Amy, she inhabits her.” In 2015, A24 released the documentary Amy. Her father, Mitch Winehouse, blocked Halcyon Studios from making a biopic back in 2021.
Back to Black is in theaters on May 10. Watch the trailer below: