First clip of Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse in new biopic released

"She doesn’t impersonate Amy, she inhabits her," the director of the movie said of Abela.

The first teaser trailer has hit the web for Back to Black, the upcoming biographical movie about Amy Winehouse. Marisa Abela (one of the stars of the HBO drama Industry) plays the British singer-songwriter in the film which charts the icon's "vibrant years living in London and her intense journey to fame". The plot synopsis for the movie reads:

"A celebration of the most iconic – and much missed – homegrown star of the 21st century, Back to Black tells the extraordinary tale of Amy Winehouse. "Painting a vivid, vibrant picture of the Camden streets she called home and capturing the struggles of global fame, Back to Black honours Amy’s artistry, wit, and honesty, as well as trying to understand her demons. "An unflinching look at the modern celebrity machine and a powerful tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent."

Written by Matt Greenhalgh (Control, Nowhere Boy) and directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey, Nowhere Boy), Back to Black's cast also features Jack O'Connell (Ferrari) as Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder-Civil. Abela and O'Connell appear in the music biopic alongside Eddie Marsan (Fair Play), Juliet Cowan (Culprits) and Lesley Manville (Phantom Thread).

Marisa Abela as Amy Winehouse in Back to Black

Back to Black was part of JOE's recent list of the 24 most exciting movies coming in 2024. And in a statement accompanying the trailer for the biopic, Taylor-Johnson praised Abela for "inhabiting" Winehouse. "Discovering a talent like Marisa Abela is akin to finding gold dust. The moment she looked into the lens at her first audition I knew she was the perfect actor to play Amy Winehouse," the director said. "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." Back to Black will land in Irish cinemas on 12 April. Check out its trailer right here: Join JOE’s WhatsApp community for first access to news, updates, and quizzes. Click on this link to receive news and the latest headlines directly to your phone. You can leave the group at any time. Read more:

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