Billy Joel condemns his unauthorized biopic ‘Billy and Me’<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nBilly Joel has stood down against an unauthorized planned biopic about himself after news emerged.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, May 19, Diversity <\/i>It is reported that screenwriter Adam Rippe and director John Ottman are currently working on a biopic of Joel. billy and me,<\/i> And they will start filming it in late 2026.<\/p>\n
Notably, this comes after Rip teamed up with Michael Jai White’s Gigantic Studios to produce a biopic with the title. piano man <\/i>In 2022, but the project could not start.<\/p>\n
Following the news that Ripp and Ottman are working together for the project, a representative for the 77-year-old American singer-songwriter and pianist released a statement. People <\/i>The magazine criticized the project.<\/p>\n
“As of 2021, the parties involved have been officially informed that they no longer own the life rights to Billy Joel and will not be able to secure the music rights needed for this project,” the spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
The statement clarified that Joel “has not authorized or endorsed this project in any capacity, and any attempt to proceed without it would be both legally and professionally incorrect.”<\/p>\n
It is worth mentioning that Billy Joel allowed directors Jessica Levin and Susan Lacey to document his life in a two-part documentary titled Billy Joel: And so it happens, <\/i>Which was released on HBO in July 2025.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n