Shailene Woodley will play singer Janis Joplin in a new movie.
She’s also producing the film.
The biopic is benefitting from a $2.5 million tax credit handed out by California.
Given her albeit tragically short-lived but storied contribution to the world of music, it’s shocking that no-one has been able to bring a movie about Janis Joplin to screens yet.
Still, that isn’t stopping Shailene Woodley, who has plans to star in and produce exactly that.
Few details have emerged about who else is involved –– we don’t, for example, know who the writer or director are yet –– but production company Temple Hill is backing the film, which has now received $2.5 million in funding from the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program.
Who was Janis Joplin?
Janis Joplin in the 1974 documentary ‘Janis’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Joplin was a musical icon of the 1960s, known as much for her searing blues songwriting and powerful voice as she was for her turbulent rock-and-roll lifestyle. The powerhouse behind ‘Mercedes Benz’ and a variety of respected covers, she died of an overdose in 1970, aged 27, shocking the music world.
Her life has been brought to screens in a couple of TV movies, but so far, big screen attempts have all faltered (see below).
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Who else has tried to make a Janis Joplin biopic?
‘Wayne’s World’ director Penelope Spheeris.
At this point, it might be easier and quicker to fill a list of who hasn’t tried to make a film about, or star as, Joplin.
‘Wayne’s World’ director Penelope Spheeris had first Pink attached in 2004 and then Zooey Deschanel in 2006, looking to get ‘The Gospel According To Janis’ into theaters ahead of an effort by Lakeshore Entertainment, which boasted of landing Renee Zellweger to star.
Sean Durkin, who most recently made ‘The Iron Claw’, took a stab at the idea back in 2012, with Tony winner Nina Arianda playing Janis, but nothing came of that one. Durkin popped back up again with an effort in 2016 that seemingly landed Michelle Williams to star, only for things to go very quiet once more.
You’ll forgive us, then, for not holding our breath until the movie is actually in theaters.
Woodley seems excited that her version of the story now has a boost for its funding.
Here’s her statement:
“I have a feeling Janis would be smiling ear to ear, zipping down the PCH in her psychedelic Porsche knowing her story is bringing opportunities and funding to the city and people that held so much significance to her. Thank you to the California Film Commission’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program — myself and the other producers on this project believe California is the only place to film a slice of Janis’s life with authenticity and truth — and we are so grateful to have received the green light to do so!”
The groundbreaking 1992 comedy ‘Wayne’s World,’ which was based on the popular Saturday Night Live sketch and released a Limited-Edition Blu-ray Steelbook on February 1st, celebrates its 30th anniversary this month.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with director Penelope Spheeris about the 30th anniversary of ‘Wayne’s World.’ She discussed how her previous work prepared her to direct the movie, working with Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody” scene, Alice Cooper’s special request, casting the late great Meat Loaf, and more.
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You can read the full interview below or watch a video of the interview above.
Moviefone: As a filmmaker, what is it like for you to see that ‘Wayne’s World’ is still as beloved and relevant today as it was when it was first released 30 years ago?
Penelope Spheeris: It’s actually kind of indescribable how it feels. I wish I had good words to describe how I feel that 30 years later people care about the movie and love the movie as much as they do. I feel really, really lucky for that. And really grateful that I was there at the right time, in the right place and with the right people. But honestly, I don’t like to wallow in the glory of anything, but it’s just astonishing that people still care about this movie.
MF: You can you take us back 30 years and talk about how you became the director of ‘Wayne’s World?’
PS: My agent sent me the script and said, “They’re looking for a director for this Saturday Night Live skit, and it’s over at Paramount”. I was like, “You mean I might be able to get my foot in the studio door? That would be cool.” So, I read the script and then I had to go to five different meetings. Then I had to meet with Mike, and then I had to jump through a hoop and balance a beach ball on my nose, and crawl on my belly like a reptile.
I had to do all those things. A lot of times it was like, “Man, this is like a lot of cross examination to get the gig.” A couple of times I remember walking off the lot thinking, “You know what? I don’t care. I can’t handle this”. Then I kept going back and I’m sure glad I did.
MF: Considering your history working with comedians like Richard Pryor and Albert Brooks, and your work directing the ‘Decline of Western Civilization’ documentaries, it seems like you were uniquely qualified to direct ‘Wayne’s World,’ because you already had experience with both comedy and rock ‘n roll.
How did your past experience as a producer and documentary filmmaker prepare you to direct this movie?
PS: Well, that’s a brilliant observation. Even I haven’t thought of that. Thank you. I was prepared comically, and I was prepared musically. I guess it’s just some cosmic coming together of the right things at the right time. I had no idea that I was going to be involved with a movie that has lasted this long and people love so much. None of us thought, “Oh, well, we’re going to make this big hip movie and get rich and famous. And everybody will be dressing up their babies like Wayne and Garth for 30 years.” None of us thought that.
We just thought, “Geez, we could make this little movie, and maybe we’ll get it in a few theaters, and maybe I’ll get another gig in Hollywood.” So, I always tell people, young filmmakers, it’s like stop with the rich and famous already, just go do the work. That’s what we were doing back then.
MF: Since they created the characters on television, I would imagine Mike Myers and Dana Carvey came to set knowing exactly who Wayne and Garth are, which is something that doesn’t always happen with actors when you are making a movie.
What was that like for you directing them and getting the performances that you needed for the film?
PS: It was a total luck out, and good pleasure. I’ll be honest with you, because as a director, if you have two leads coming in with characters that they don’t know, you got a big job cut out for you, and you got to know those characters yourself. Mike and Dana already knew them.
So, I didn’t have to go crazy trying to say, “Stay in character, stay on track. That’s not what your character would say.” I didn’t have to do any of that, they knew exactly what they would do, and wear, and say. So that made it easier to be honest with you. I don’t look at it like, “Oh, I’m the director, you got to do what I say.” They knew, and I trusted them. I had to.
MF: The movie will forever be connected to the band Queen, and vice versa, because of the iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody” sequence. Can you talk about the process of shooting that scene?
PS: Well, I mean, when we shot it, and we didn’t think, “Oh, people are going to be looking at this and loving it for so many decades.” We didn’t think that. I knew that it would be a good title sequence, because I had shot a similar scene in the movie I did called ‘Dudes,’ where Flea and John Cryer were banging their heads in a Volkswagen driving across the desert.
So, I knew that that was a fun thing to be doing. But yeah, Mike had written “Bohemian Rhapsody” into the first draft. So, as much as people might want to give me credit for picking the song, I did not pick the song, it was Mike. I chose to shoot it the way I did, but he is the one that was smart enough to pick that song. What can I tell you, James Corden owes me a couple bucks!
MF: Is it true that the studio fought you on the song choice and didn’t want you to use ‘Bohemian Rhapsody?”
PS: No! Thank you for asking it because I’d like to set the record straight. The studio never challenged us on the use of the song. (Producer) Lorne Michaels never wanted to have Guns N’ Roses in the movie. I never wanted to have Guns N’ Roses in the movie, because they had just bailed out on me when I did the ‘The Metal Years.’
So, I definitely wouldn’t want to license their song if they crapped out on me at the last minute when I did ‘The Metal Years’. So, this whole thing about somebody wanting to use Guns N’ Roses is not true. I just want to put that on the table, and they could fight me to the death on that one because I know.
MF: But there was an issue with Alice Cooper only wanting to play a new song and not one of his classics in the movie, is that true?
PS: That’s very smart of you, and here’s the thing. Having worked with bands forever, most of them don’t want to do their old music, they want to promote their new music. I understand that, because they want to be themselves, and they want to do their new material. I couldn’t argue with Alice, because there was no time to argue. It was like, “Okay, we got to shoot this scene at the amphitheater, it’s booked, and it costs a lot of money. So, let’s get the band over there and set up the stage, and do it”.
I wasn’t in love with the song at the time. It’s a goofy title. But Alice is a prince, and we threw three pages of dialogue at him, on the day he came in. He didn’t even have a night to look at it. To this day even he says that he can’t believe he remembered all that dialogue. We had to write these signs, we had to write prompter signs. We had people writing on them, so he could remember the lines. But he did it, and he looked perfectly natural doing it.
MF: Finally, you cast Meat Loaf in the movie, who unfortunately just passed. What are your memories of working with Meat Loaf?
PS: It’s very tragic, of course, that Meat Loaf has gone, and very unexpected. He was way too young to go. He and I were very, very good friends during the 1980’s when we would party at the Rainbow Bar, The Roxy, and Whiskey a Go Go. I have very fond memories of hanging out with him. And if anybody doesn’t mind, I’ll take the credit for casting him in that sweet role.
The ‘Wayne’s World’ Limited-Edition Blu-ray Steelbook was released on February 1st.
Welcome to Female Filmmakers in Focus, where you will find recommendations for films directed by women to seek out each week. The new film this week is Hannah Berryman’s ‘Rockfield – The Studio on the Farm,’ and the recommended older film for the pairing is Penelope Spheeris’ ‘The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years.’
Rockfield – The Studio on the Farm (directed by Hannah Berryman)
Ozzy Osbourne being interviewed for ‘Rockfield – The Studio on the Farm’
Hannah Berryman is a documentary filmmaker who specializes in contemporary historical documentaries. Her work is known for mixing new sit-down interviews, archival footage, and animation. She studied social and political science at Cambridge before turning her focus to filmmaking. She has produced and directed the documentaries ‘A Very English Education’ and ‘Princess Margaret: The Rebel Royal’ for British television, and the feature documentary ‘Miss World 1970: Beauty Queens and Bedlam.’ The latter tells the story of the controversy-laden 1970 Miss World competition, which was also the basis for Philippa Lowthorpe’s 2020 film ‘Misbehaviour’ starring Keira Knightley, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Jessie Buckley.
Berryman’s latest documentary ‘Rockfield – The Studio on the Farm’ tells the story of Rockfield Studios in Wales, known as the very first residential recording studio. The film traces how brothers Kingsley and Charles Ward turned their Welsh pig farm into the recording studio where rock bands like Black Sabbath, Queen, The Stone Roses, Oasis and Coldplay recorded some of their biggest hits. Berryman traces how the brothers first discovered rock and roll, a rather unfateful meeting with EMI’s George Martin, and their early attempts to soundproof part of their farm to record local Welsh bands. This early part of the studio’s history is brought to life through archival photography and imaginative animated sequences.
Along with spirited interviews with the studio’s founders, the film also features some incredible new interviews with many of the musicians who recorded albums on the farm. This includes delightful stories from Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne, whose accent has finally hit the nadir of charming yet unintelligible garble. Robert Plant shares how the farm helped him launch his post-Zeppelin solo career in the 1980s. As an Oasis fan, I particularly enjoyed the blunt and self-reflexive stories behind the recording of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? as told by Liam Gallagher and Bonehead (Paul Arthurs). Coldplay’s Chris Martin tells how recording there was like a balm for the band in the midst of chaos of putting out their first album Parachutes.
Another section I found particularly interesting was how the studio was beginning to struggle financially in the late-1980s and then The Stone Roses spent 14 months in residency recording their first and second albums. Gallagher tells of stealing a plow or something to sneak on the farm in an attempt to get a peek at the troublesome band.
Fans of any era of rock and roll are likely to find a parable or two about their favorite band somewhere in this doc, and will likely come away with a deeper appreciation for how this Welsh farm became instrumental in the creation of some truly iconic albums.
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The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (directed by Penelope Spheeris)
Ozzy Osbourne in a scene from ‘The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years’
What can you even say about THE Penelope Spheeris? If you ever get the chance to see her at a Q&A before a screening of one of her films do not hesitate. I’ve seen her speak many times, and she is always a hoot, raw and unmerciless about her time in Hollywood. Spheeris put herself through UCLA film school working as a waitress at Denny’s and IHOP. She made short films and interstitials featuring Albert Brooks for SNL before making her feature-length debut with the punk-rock doc ‘The Decline of Western Civilization.’ She followed these up with a handful of films in the 80s, including the essential coming-of-age thriller ‘Suburbia.’ She’s probably best known today for 1992’s ‘Wayne’s World’ starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey as their SNL characters Wayne and Garth. A filmmaker with an unwavering vision, despite much studio interference, Spheeris’ deeper cut films are well worth seeking out.
Inspired by Ozzy’s interview in ‘Rockfield’ – in which even with subtitles I had trouble deciphering his thick Birmingham, English accent, I suggest you pair the film with the second film in Spheeris’s Decline trilogy: ‘The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years’. In it Ozzy is interviewed while making eggs, and it is truly a delightful piece of documentary filmmaking. Other bands interviewed for this volume include members of Aerosmith, Poison, Alice Cooper, Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P., Paul Stanley from Kiss, Lemmy from Motörhead, and more. The film also features interviews with fans of the LA hair metal scene, an interview with L.A. club owner Bill Gazzarri, live performances by bands like Lizzy Borden, Faster Pussycat, and Megadeth, and some truly stunning looks at the nightlife of the Sunset Strip in the late-80s. A time capsule of an era like none other.
