A Billy Joel Biopic Is in the Works - But the Icon Has This to Say About It
With Michael still dominating at the box office, news of a biopic centered on another musical icon is now brewing.
A film chronicling the formative years of superstar singer-pianist Billy Joel will be directed by John Ottman, Variety reports.
Billy & Me will tell the origin story of Joel before fame, before the hits - and, significantly, before his 1973 classic "Piano Man." As Variety noted on Tuesday, May 19, it's told through the eyes of Joel's first manager, Irwin Mazur, who discovered the singer in 1966, signed him in 1970 and oversaw his career up to his breakthrough deal with Columbia Records in 1972.
Last year, HBO released a documentary on the Grammy winner, 77, titled "And So It Goes."
The production has secured Mazur's exclusive life rights, as well as those of Joel's longtime friend, drummer and video director Jon Small, who is also on board as a consultant, co-executive producer and second unit director. Small was Joel's drummer in the Hassles.
"This is the most honest, heartfelt, and authentic portrayal of Billy's early life and rise to becoming one of the greatest musical voices of our time," Small, 80, told Variety. "Billy & Me is grounded in truth, shaped with care, and built with the insight of people who genuinely know and love Billy. As someone who was there from the very beginning, I can say this script captures not just the music, but the friendships, struggles, humor, and creative spark that defined those years."
The kicker is that Billy & Me doesn't have Joel's approval, rights to his music or his life rights - which grant a person or company the right to purchase and develop a person's life story into a media format.
"Since 2021, the parties involved have been officially notified that they do not possess Billy Joel's life rights and will not be able to secure the music rights required for this project," Joel's rep said in a statement to Variety. "Billy Joel has not authorized or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided."
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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 6:28 PM.