Here’s TheInSneider with an exclusive concerning Cameron Crowe’s long-gestating Joni Mitchell biopic.
Anya Taylor-Joy is in talks to play the iconic singer-songwriter. She will play Mitchell during her peak years, while Meryl Streep will play Mitchell during the later part of the singer’s career — namely, around the time she suffered a brain aneurysm in 2015.
Taylor-Joy beat out Kristine Froseth (“The Buccaneers”) for the coveted role. Froseth’s audition was said to be “fantastic,” but Taylor-Joy is obviously better known, and does share similar resemblance to Mitchell’s look.
In fact, last November, I had mentioned how Taylor-Joy would be “perfect” for the role; little did I know she would eventually be confirmed to play Mitchell.
Crowe had been eyeing a March start for the biopic, hoping to get cameras rolling before Streep started shooting the ‘Devil Wears Prada’ sequel. However, plans shifted when Crowe’s Los Angeles home was among the properties affected by the January wildfires, forcing production to be delayed.
It’s unclear whether filming will now commence this fall or be pushed to early 2026, but signs are pointing to momentum finally building on what will be Crowe’s first narrative feature in over ten years.
In the ‘80s, ‘90s’ and ‘00s, Crowe was this highly successful writer-director, his filmography includes the likes of “Say Anything,” “Jerry Maguire,” “Almost Famous,” and “Vanilla Sky.” Then he struck out with 2005’s “Elizabethtown,” 2011’s “We Bought A Zoo” and his last film, 2015’s “Aloha.”
That losing streak was more than enough to have him take a break from Hollywood, or was it the other way around? If you remember, for many years, Crowe had been trying to develop a biopic about Marvin Gaye, though it eventually fell apart due to casting and financing issues.
The Mitchell biopic is a deeply personal project for Crowe. A former Rolling Stone journalist in the ‘70s, who famously interviewed Mitchell in 1979, he has remained close friends with the singer over the years. They’ve been working on the script together for the better part of three years — the untitled film is said to not be a “traditional” biopic.