When Charlotte Wells released “Aftersun” in 2022, it instantly became one of the most acclaimed debuts of the century — a bittersweet recollection of the brief time she spent with her late father.
The film’s emotional intimacy and formal control marked Wells as a talent to watch, but it also cast a long shadow over her follow-up. Whatever came next could face the specter of the “sophomore curse.”
In a new interview with The Sunday Times, Debbie Harry, lead singer of ‘80s band Blondie, claims Wells is working on a biopic of the band, and her wish is for Florence Pugh to play her in the film.
"If it were somebody like Florence Pugh, I would be in heaven," said Harry. "I just think she’s a great actor and she could do anything."
During a 2020 interview with Entertainment Weekly, at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Pugh mentioned that she had hopes of portraying Harry in a film adaptation. Her wishes might come true now, especially with a filmmaker like Wells now directing. Chances are that Pugh wouldn’t say no to be in Wells’ much anticipated sophomore effort.
No studio was mentioned to be attached to the project, but I gather we’ll be getting more details in the coming days, weeks and months. This project is too buzzy to be left unreported.
For three years, Wells resisted rushing into a follow-up to “Aftersun.” She waited, she reflected, and she refused to commit to a project, until now, and her choice is a Blondie biopic? We’ll see how that turns out.
Hollywood’s music-biopic obsession isn’t just alive — it’s in full-blown overdrive. Wells’ Blondie is just one of dozens of music biopics in the works, with already greenlit projects set to tackle Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Madonna, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, KISS, Joni Mitchell, Lionel Richie, The Bee Gees, Carole King, Dionne Warwick, Sinead O’Connor and Linda Ronstadt. We’re officially entering the onslaught phase.
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