Janis Joplin biopic will detail singer’s “last days” before death from heroin overdose aged 27

A new Janis Joplin biopic will detail the singer’s “last days” before her death from a heroin overdose aged 27.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Shailene Woodley’s documentary will be a “raw and honest” look at the singer’s last days, according to collaborator and songwriter Linda Perry.

Speaking to the outlet via a representative, Perry said she’s excited to finally see Joplin’s story brought to the screen.

“I’ve been waiting decades for this movie to be made,” she told the publication. “There are no words to convey how honoured I am to be included in what I believe to be a raw and honest look into Janis Joplin’s last days.”

She continued: “Shailene Woodley’s emotional commitment and dedication to Janis is inspiring. I believe her! Shailene lives for the art and I can’t think of a better person to portray such a powerful, emotional, and complex artist.”

Woodley, who first announced the project this week, said she would produce and star in the film. She also revealed that she discovered she could sing during preparation for the project while working with Perry.

“California meant so much to Janis Joplin — from the stoops of San Francisco to the wooden walls of Sunset Sound, the state became the stage upon which she explored not just the world of music, but the world of her vibrant humanity,” Woodley said in a statement (via The Hollywood Reporter).

“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 Big Little Lies star added.

Joplin died in 1970 at age 27 and many have since tried to develop a biopic about the legendary singer. Amy Adams, Zooey Deschanel, Pink and Melissa Etheridge, among others, have all previously been attached to play Joplin in movies that never got to production.

In January 2023, Margot Robbie also expressed an interest in portraying the rock star, telling NME: “I think everyone has been trying to do a Janis Joplin [movie] for a long time.”

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