Actress Michelle Williams is in talks for the role of the eponymous Janis Joplin in “Janis.” The film is a biopic directed by Sean Durkin and is based on a book written by the singer’s younger sister, Laura Joplin.
The book, simply titled “Love, Janis” is a biography of the ill-fated singer, where her life is seen through the eyes of her closest friends and family.
The journal also features letters that had never been previously published, chronicling the ride from the humble beginnings of her career when she used to sing at coffeehouses to when she became the “Queen of Classic Roll.” It also shows her struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction.
Janis’ life was tragically cut short when she died of a heroin overdose in 1970 at the age of 27 just sixteen days after fellow rock icon Jimi Hendrix also died aged twenty-seven.
About Michelle Williams
Michelle Ingrid Williams is an American actress, born on September 9, 1980, who has been nominated for numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Brokeback Mountain.
She won a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for her role in that same film, an Independent Spirit Award for her performance in Wendy and Lucy, and a Golden Globe and second Independent Spirit Award for the role of Marilyn Monroe in My Week with Marilyn.
About Janis Lyn Joplin
Joplin was born on January 19, 1943, and quickly rose to fame after an appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 alongside her little-known band, Big Brother, and the Holding Company.
She left the band after two albums to pursue a solo career. Joplin was well known among critics and audiences for her performing ability, with a stage presence described as “electric.” Even after her death, she remained one of the top-selling musicians in the United States and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Besides the upcoming Janis biopic, what could be considered a rival film titled Get It While You Can — set to be directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and with Amy Adams as the lead — is stuck in development, as the screenwriter got hit with a lawsuit.
Before these films, other filmography includes the 1974 Canadian documentary film Janis, which consists in its entirety of archival footage of Joplin, and Janis: Little Girl Blue, a 2015 documentary directed by Amy J. Berg which received a mostly positive reception.
Books about Joplin include a memoir by her friend Peggy Caserta titled Going Down With Janis, released in 1973, a biography by her publicist Myra Friedman was released in the same year and was titled Buried Alive: The Biography of Janis Joplin.
There is also a musical stage show adaptation of the Love, Janis book with the same title. The musical was directed, conceived and adapted by Randal Myler, who based it on the letters given to him by Laura Joplin herself.
Source: The Guardian