David Bowie Biopic Will Star Johnny Flynn, According To Reports

A David Bowie biopic is in the works and the actor who will play the superstar has reportedly been cast.

According to Screen Daily, South-African born actor and musician Johnny Flynn will be the lead in the movie, reportedly titled Stardust.

The news outlet reveals the movie will follow Bowie's 1971 trip to the US, which helped to inspire him to create his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, as well as his meteoric rise to fame. Sounds bloody brilliant.

PA

Jena Malone, who has starred in Donnie Darko and The Hunger Games, has been cast as Bowie's first wife Angie Barnett and Marc Maron, who has previously appeared in GLOW, is said to be starring as a record company publicist.

The movie will feature a 'varied soundtrack' of Bowie hits as well as several performances, according to Deadline.

Paul Van Carter and Nick Taussig of London-based Salon Pictures are set to produce the flick, with Emmy award-winner Gabriel Range directing.

Speaking to Screen Daily, Van Carter said: "Johnny Flynn is one of the UK's most talented emerging actors, and a musician in his own right."

Flynn has starred in Netflix's Lovesick, BBC's Les Misérables and Beast.

The movie has no release date yet but is reportedly set to start filming in June this year.

Bowie died in 2016 after a battle with cancer, leaving the music world reeling. Earlier this year he was voted the Greatest Entertainer of the 20th Century in a poll by the British public for BBC Two's historical series Icons.

The BBC said: "Often adopting a series of personas, and never afraid to reinvent his sound, David Bowie was a constant musical innovator - keeping him ahead of the pack. The characters he created, from Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke, allowed him to inhabit new sonic landscapes.

"And Bowie astutely picked the best collaborators to help him achieve his goals. Unlike many other musicians, he remained current for his entire career."

The announcement of this latest flick comes following the massive success of Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody which has been nominated for a handful of Oscars, including best picture and best actor for Rami Malek, and scooped Golden Globes in both those categories.

Topics: TV and Film, David Bowie, Music

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19