Billy Joel Biopic Moves Forward Without Singer’s Authorization

A biopic about the life of music legend Billy Joel is in the works…without Billy Joel.

“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,” a rep for Joel, 77, said in a statement to Page Six.

With big names attached to the project — Bohemian Rhapsody’s John Ottman is set to direct, with Adam Ripp tapped to write the script — Billy & Me will explore the early years of the “Piano Man” singer’s career through the eyes of his first manager, Irwin Mazur.

“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,” his rep added.

Though it’s unclear why Joel has refused to participate in the project, production has secured the rights to the lives of Mazur — the “Uptown Girl” artist’s original manager — and Jon Small, an early collaborator of Joel’s.

According to Variety, Joel refusing to authorize the work “is presumably why the story is being told from the perspectives of Mazur and Small.

“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. Billy & Me is grounded in truth, shaped with care, and built with the insight of people who genuinely know and love Billy,” Small said in a statement to Variety. “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.”

Ottman added, “I’m really proud of the development work Adam Ripp and I did to shape Billy & Me into both a deeply emotional and fun story.”

Production is set to begin this fall in Winnipeg, Canada and New York, per Variety, who adds that casting in currently underway.