Amy Winehouse biopic: Back to Black film cast with Marisa Abela - who plays Blake Fielder-Civil in new movie?

Actor Marisa Abela will star as Amy Winehouse in the upcoming film Back to Black, which is set to delve into the life and times of Winehouse and her extraordinary career in the spotlight.

The London born singer enjoyed a successful career in the charts during the early 2000s and established herself as one of the UK’s flagship vocalists. The Grammy award winning artist was known for her eclectic mix of musical genres including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz.

Winehouse has been described as an inspiration to stars such as Adele and Lady Gaga, with her death shining a light on the less than glamorous reality of problems related to alcohol among young artists in the music industry.

Back to Black has a stellar line up of cast and crew alike - here is everything you need to know.

When will Back to Black be released?

The official announcement of Back to Black came on Friday 13 January, with the film’s lead actor Marisa Abela pictured on the streets of London filming scenes.

The completed film is expected to arrive in cinemas in early 2024, however an official release date has not yet been confirmed.

Who is in the cast for Back to Black?

Marisa Abela stars as music icon Amy Winehouse in the upcoming biopic.

Abela is a 26-year-old actress from Brighton who is best known for her television roles in the BBC Two series Industry and the Sky One series Cobra.

Abela is also due to make her major film debut in the romantic comedy film Barbie alongside stars such as Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad) and Ryan Gosling (La La Land, The Gray Man).

Eddie Marsan will step into the role of Amy’s dad, Mitch Winehouse. The 56-year-old won the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Happy Go Lucky. Marsan has also starred in Sherlock Holmes, Snow White and the Huntsman and The World’s End.

Ryan O’Doherty stars as Winehouse’s former partner Chris Taylor. Winehouse allegedly wrote her hit ‘Stronger Than Me’ about her ex-partner.

O’Doherty has briefly featured in the TV series Loki and the short film Little Fantasies.

Jack O’Connell stars as Winehouse’s ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil. The 32-year old is best known for his role in Skins and This Is England.

Who are the makers of the film?

Back to Black is directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson. The 55-year-old has vast experience in making musical biopics and previously headed the John Lennon focused film Nowhere Boy.

Johnson has also directed Fifty Shades of Grey and A Million Little Pieces.

Cinematic powerhouse StudioCanal is behind the film and producers Alison Owen, Debra Hayward and Tracey Seaward also make up the team.

What to expect from Back to Black

The film is expected to follow Amy Winehouse’s road to fame - documenting her humble beginnings in North London and her rise to superstardom with her second album Back to Black.

Winehouse’s second album was amongst the most successful in the 21st century and it was predominantly based on her tumultuous relationship with her future husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

The biopic will also explore Winehouse’s problems off the stage with alcohol and drug abuse, and will delve into the events leading up to her tragic death in 2011.

The title of the film comes from the album Back to Black and it is therefore likely that the biopic will include many of the songs from the 2006 record - including Rehab, Tears Dry On Their Own, You Know I’m No Good and Back to Black.

What has the response been like?

The upcoming biopic has received criticism from large sections of Amy Winehouse’s fan base.

A lot of the issues seem to stem from a seemingly fictionalised version of an arrest involving the late singer’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

Fans have seen a number of images from the film which show Winehouse being restrained while her husband Fielder Civil is arrested. Reports from the time suggest that the arrest took place in the couple’s apartment and not in front of a crowd of paparazzi as it is supposedly depicted in the film.

One person wrote on social media: “Need the Amy Winehouse biopic to cease production immediately.”

While another wrote: “Can we ignore this film completely when it comes out?”

“Photos from the new #AmyWinehouse biopic and I’m sorry but these exploitative biopics have got to stop. It’s like we didn’t learn s**t from the early 2000s and media’s obsession with parading young women’s mental health crises,” wrote another, sharing pictures from filming.

However, the film has been supported by Winehouse’s father, Mitch Winehouse, who recently shared a picture of his character in the film, who is played by Eddy Marsan.