Selena Gomez and David O. Russell are teaming up for a biopic of Linda Ronstadt
The Only Murders In The Building star will play Ronstadt in Russell's film
Aux News Linda Ronstadt
David O. Russell has just lined up his latest high-profile film project in the wake of the crash of 2022's fairly disastrous Amsterdam, with Variety reporting that the American Hustle director will be tackling a biopic of American music legend Linda Ronstadt. Russell is working on the film with musician Selena Gomez, who, in between being sucked into the Taylor Swift Memeplex, and announcing various sabbaticals from social media, is also an actor. (Who knew?)
Gomez previously teased her connection to the project on, of course, social media, posting a picture of Ronstadt’s 2013 memoir Simple Dreams on her Instagram story. Today, news broke that Russell is serving as director on the film, which is being produced in association with Ronstadt’s manager, John Boylan. (Ronstadt herself is still alive, although she suffers from a degenerative neurological disease that limits her ability to publicly appear, or sing; it’s not clear how involved she is in the biopic as of yet.)
As “the first lady of rock ‘n’ roll,” Ronstadt had a long musical career that jumped between and defied genres, moving from folk to rock to country and back again. Like Gomez, she’s also of Mexican descent—something that record executives occasionally tried to use against her, she revealed in an interview with Today in 2022, saying that they tried desperately to dissuade her from releasing 1987's Spanish-language Canciones de mi padre lest it “destroy her career.” (The album went double-platinum in the U.S., and currently sits in both the Grammy Hall Of Fame and the Library Of Congress’ National Recording Registry, so, y’know, don’t bet against Linda Ronstadt)
A tough act to follow, but it’s not like Gomez—who we might kid about, but who is still a phenomenally talented performer any way you slice it—doesn’t have a pretty hefty resumé of her own at this point. The bigger question mark, for us, is Russell: Amsterdam lost a ton of money (and a great deal of critical heat) despite its star-studded cast, and his last biopic, the Jennifer Lawrence-starring Joy, earned only muddled reviews in 2015. It’s been a decade since Russell had anything even resembling a hit in either the critical or commercial sense; it remains to be seen whether he still has the discipline to properly handle the sprawling, independent narrative of Ronstadt’s life.
24 Comments
Selena Gomez? Howdja get her?“Oh, we’ve been looking for a project to do together for a while.”
I just don’t like this genre. Unless the musician sawed a relative in half it’s an automatic pass.
It works better if you just dramatize a dramatic as fuck section of a musician’s life instead of compressing everything into a wig montage over the years. The stale standard template has been done so often, even the “classy” awards bait versions are a real snooze.
You didn’t like Rocketman? I don’t care for the genre either but that was a lot of fun.
I never saw it, I was already at this point when it came out. Maybe I’ll give it a try.
It’s not like the others – all stodgy and linear. It captures the wonder of creativity.
There’s only one musical biopic worth a damn:
David St Hubbins would like a word
Just what we did not need: a celebrity with mediocre pipes trying to pass herself off as someone who was an actual singer. Extra points for being a mediocre actress as well.
Gomez is a great cast for this, but I’d be even more curious who they’d get to play Governor Moonbeam-era Jerry Brown – along with how they’d portray the relationship.
Dana Carvey?
Rich Evans as George Lucas hopefully
David O Russell sucks.
“It’s been a decade since Russell had anything even resembling a hit in either the critical or commercial sense”.He’s also a garbage human being with a violent temper who regularly abuses the people around him, so, y’know, maybe that’s an issue.
in hollywood?
David O Russell is a piece of shit, and if there is one director still working in Hollywood who should be forever blacklisted, it’s him.
Señor plow no es macho, solamente un borracho.
If there isn’t a bar band near Arizona State University called the Macho Borrachos, there needs to be.
i love music documentaries, so last year i watched on the BBC, the 2019 documnetary “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”. I highly recommend it, as it covers her whole life up to the present.i knew of Linda’s name but i didn’t know she played a pivotal role in shaping the music landscape during the 1970s and 1980s, where her influence went beyond music; she contributed to the cultural shifts of the time, breaking barriers for female artists and influencing future generations.The documentary showed how she demonstrated exceptional versatility in her music career and successfully crossed genres, exploring rock, country, pop, folk, and Latin music. Ronstadt’s ability to interpret and perform diverse styles showcased her adaptability and musical range. She possessed a powerful and emotive voice and her vocal range, control, and expressive delivery set her apart as one of the most accomplished female vocalists of her time. Whether singing rock anthems, traditional ballads, or upbeat pop songs, she demonstrated a remarkable vocal prowess.One part i particulary liked in the documentary was how it showed that throughout her career, Ronstadt consistently sought new musical challenges. Her willingness to experiment and explore different genres helped introduce audiences to a variety of musical styles. She wasn’t afraid to take risks and push boundaries in her artistic endeavors.Plus maintained a commitment to artistic integrity and prioritized musical quality over commercial considerations, making choices based on her passion for the music rather than catering solely to commercial trends.Gomez is an interesting choice. i sometimes love her “AMSR pop” songs, but for this project, i would have prefered a better actor who can sing. I hope she does a good job.
I don’t really have an opinion on Gomez’s singing, but just based on Only Murders in the Building, her acting skills leave a lot to be desired.
that’s very true.
When I first heard of this I was excited. And I think biopics are the dumbest kind of movie. Then I learned Selena Gomez is involved. Oh well.
Who wants to lay odds on the likelihood that David O. Russell’s erratic behvaior does not mix well with Selena Gomez’s “good enough” approach to everything?