Amy Adams is incredibly talented. I’m not sure – in fact, I’m rather doubtful – that she will win her Oscar during this current award season. There were many hopes pinned on her performance in Big Eyes, and while it’s still possible that she could get a Best Actress nomination, I just don’t think the reviews are good enough to get her an Oscar at long last (I’m pretty sure it’s going to Julianne Moore!). But Amy has still gotten five Oscar nominations so far in her career – she is one of the best actresses of her generation, and I believe she’s going to be working for a long, long time. The fact that she’s a 40-year-old baby-faced vampire probably helps with that too. So, at the age of 40 – even in vampire years! – is she kind of too old to play Janis Joplin? Joplin was 27 years old when she died in 1970. And ever since then, Hollywood has been trying to make a Janis bio-pic. Now it looks like the project is going ahead, with Amy cast as Janis.
After years of false starts, Amy Adams will finally have her rock-‘n’-roll moment. The five-time Academy Award nominee is set to portray legendary singer Janis Joplin in a long-stalled biopic that is finally inching closer to production, Deadline reports.
Adams, 40, signed on to play the “Piece of My Heart” singer way back in 2010, but the project hit numerous roadblocks over the years as it struggled to find a director and writing team.
Wild director Jean-Marc Vallée is in negotiations to helm the biopic, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Vallée directed Matthew McConaughey in Dallas Buyers Club, and is reportedly in talks to re-team with his writers from that film for this latest project.
As for Adams, she has made no secret of her affection for the hard-living-yet-vulnerable singer, who died at the age of 27 in 1970.
In the December issue of Vogue, Adams said that if given the opportunity to get coffee with anyone from the past, it’d be with Janis Joplin, but “it probably wouldn’t be coffee.”
The project is tentatively scheduled to begin filming sometime next year, according to reports.
Amy has been attached to various Joplin projects over the years – there were casting rumors in 2010 and 2012, and stuff fell apart both times. Lee Daniels was attached to direct at one time. It sounds like the moment has finally come though and this project is finally going to get off the ground.
As for whether Amy will do a good job… as I said, I think she’s really talented. I even think Amy looks a bit like Janis and the age thing shouldn’t be that big of a deal. At 27, Janis had lived a really hard life with drug and alcohol abuse and if anything, Amy still might look too young to play Janis. I do wonder about Amy’s voice. And I do worry about Janis’s music catalog. If the producers don’t get the rights to the music, it’s just going to be, like, a Jackie Jormp Jomp fiasco.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Amy can certainly play Joplin. She looks young for her age, and Joplin wasn’t exactly what you might call fresh-faced, especially near the end.
I’m going to reserve making a definitive decision on this ATM. I can’t picture her as Janis, but AA is MORE than talented enough to pull it off. I was very much against Michelle Williams as Marilyn, but she blew me away! I genuinely forgot that I WASN’T watching MM… Fingers tentatively crossed…
I remember when Renee Zellweger was attached years ago. I think she would have been great but it’s too late for her now. I think Amy Adams could pull it off but I also wonder about her voice. Janis’ was so unique.
Renee would have been perfect for the role ten years ago. Too bad the movie wasn’t made before she changed her face.
Yes, Renee would have been wonderful.
Wasn’t Zooey Deschanel attached at some point, too?
I never heard about Zooey but, ugh, that would not be a good person for the role.
I think she has the talent, but she’s too pretty to play JJ. I don’t want that to sound mean, but a big part of JJ’s psyche stemmed from the fact that she was considered, and considered herself, ugly as a teenager.
I see what you are saying, but there is some slight resemblance. The make-up artists can always play down her attributes. I think Amy is a good actress, but my concern is more about her being able to pull off the persona of hardness. I find Amy most convincing when she is playing to the ‘earnest wide-eyed innocent’ character.
Agreed with both above comments. Amy Adams is a cutie-patootie and Janis Joplin was not. I think they both are/were amazing and talented, and I will be eager to see how AA approaches this role, but if AA manages to somehow transform her Disney princess energy into tortured, hardened (but soft on the inside), drug-addicted, ugly duckling energy, I will be amazed.
I’m with you, Kiddo. For me, it’s not about Amy’s delicate prettiness – make-up artists can do wonders – it’s about a quality of soulful and authentic grittiness that no amount of make-up and no acting skill could pull off. Amy could possibly impersonate Joplin (though imo that’s a huge stretch), she could be transformed physically to look more like her, but to channel Janis requires a kind of rough grittiness, a savagery and pure soul that Amy couldn’t pull off just by virtue of her considerable acting chops.
Have you seen The Fighter? She’s SO great in that movie, and plays completely against type. Same with The Master (shades of Lady Macbeth in that one). She can easily play rough just as well as sweet. Amy is so incredibly talented – I think this movie could earn her the big O!
i was just thinking that wow adams will have to uglify heavily.But here she has a great possibility to show her acting quality,with a great role.
The trailer of Big Eyes didn’t do anything for me. It was boring, something that I would just wait when it comes out on DVD so I’m not surprised if she isn’t going to be the front runner for BA. I guess it’s going to be Moore vs. Witherspoon now.
Margaret Keane’s story is fascinating and I got a lot more interested when I read an interview the Guardian did with her and Adams.
Amy’s reviews for “Big Eyes” are really good. She’s supposedly the best thing in a film that could have been better than it was. I’ve heard Waltz is awful though.
That’s the thing though. The story is there and is very interesting but the they managed to make the trailer dull, boring and a snoozefest. I have no doubt her acting is good in the movie, and I’m sure she’ll get nominated. It’s a weak year for BA, she’ll be on the list.
It’s a shame lindsay lohan is such a mess, she would have been perfect for the role.
I think Amy is one of the best working actresses and I’ll watch anything she’s in. Amy is one of the more “normal” celebs in that she hasn’t had tons of plastic surgery or enhancements. So she’s more of what I would call a “normal” pretty woman but she’s still a pretty woman. And yeah it’s annoying when pretty women play women viewed as “ugly” on film bc Hollywood wouldn’t dare cast an actress who is actually less attractive. Mind you, none of that is Amy’s fault. That’s a cultural problem.
To be honest though, I’m more excited to see Amy in that sci-fi movie “Story of your life” than I am to see her in another bio pic.
I think she is super talented and enough of a chameleon that she will be able to step into this role.
Anoother biopic? Uhg.
She IS a vampire. I’m so jealous and I’m never jealous of other women’s looks.
I think there’s someone perfect for the role, and it’s Joss Stone. She can do all her own singing. I wonder if the casting people even thought of her.
If memory serves, there were rumors about her playing the part back in the late 90’s-early 00’s.
She has the voice but maybe not the acting chops.
Joss Stone has the voice for it, but does she act?
I thought she was pretty good as Anne of Cleves on The Tudors.
I generally don’t see a problem in casting either younger or older actress’s for fictional characters if they’re right for the job but I think producers have to be far more careful when an actress is representing a real person.
Its far too easy for the audience to just not believe it like Kidman in Grace of Monaco.
Yes, Yes, Yes! I am so excited about this. Amy is such a great actress. Janice’s story should be told. I just hope that they can get clearance to use Janice’s music.
I think Pink could have pulled it off but Amy doesn’t have that raw grittiness needed for Janis
Amy Adams looks nothing like Janice Joplin ,but she can still pull it off. Diana Ross looked nothing Billie Holiday and she brilliant in Lady sings the blues.
I think this will go the way of the Princess Di and Grace Kelly biopics. She’s not a great casting choice but I get that she’s doing a bait-y movie. She must be sick of sitting in the audience and losing. I wonder if she’d rather not even be nominated this year, since it’s clear that Julianne is winning.
I think Mae Whitman would make a great Janis. And she does sing and play guitar.
I’m not a fan of bio-pics in general, but I think Amy will tear this up
I kind of like it! I think it’s not an obvious choice (Amy seems like such a sweet, pretty person and Janis was very rock n’ roll), but that’s what makes it interesting. She certainly is a good actress and if make up artists play down her looks I think it won’t be too far off the mark. And as Janis looked older and Amy looks younger I think they’ll meet in the middle. 😉 The only thing I’m a bit concerned about is the voice. Janis had such a distinctive voice even when speaking, that will be very hard…
I remember back in late 80’s when rumors saw Melissa Ethridge play Janice in a biopick.
It’s been dragging for a long time.
I just hope it doesn’t come out like the movie The Doors by Oliver Stone.
I learned nothing from that movie, I already knew he was drugged up and drunk most of the time.
I would have like to know, his writing habits or interactions with friends and family.
I’m sure he wasn’t high 24\7 all threw his 27 years.
Again I don’t want to see Janice high or drunk all movie.
Perfect casting!
yep @dizzybenny, i ‘member too. I think as long as Oliver Stone isn’t involved, it has a chance to be a good film.
As much as I love Amy Adams, this flick is about 30 years too late.
I’d rather just watch the Divine Miss M in The Rose again… still an amazing flick after all these years.
i would pay to see jackie jormp jomp if they ever finish it
It’s probably stuck in legal. We should get Constance Justice on it right away.
Jackie Jormp-Jomp is the first thing that came to mind when I saw this post! Amy Adams to me almost makes as much sense as Jenna Maroney.
Janice wasn’t a traditional beauty like Amy is. But if They can make Steve Carrell look like Dupont with three hours of makeup and prosthesis they can make Amy look more like Janice. No doubt she has the acting skills to pull it off, but can she sing?
Ugh, I think this has disaster written all over it… This film DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHTS to Joplin’s music… but another movie in production called “Janice” does- they have rights to 21 of her songs. I hope “get it While You Can” never gets the rights and that this never gets made. Let Janice RIP, Hollywood freaks.
This woman is so versatile that I truly believe she can pull it off. I’d go so far as to put her up there with Meryl.
I’ve been wanting to see this come to fruition! I’m a huge Janis fan, and at first I was very leery about the casting, but I’m open to being pleasantly surprised.