Jack Osbourne recently sat down with The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan for an in-depth conversation on the “The Magnificent Others” podcast. While they discussed everything from growing up in the spotlight to the massive legacy of Black Sabbath, the biggest takeaway was a concrete update on the highly anticipated movie about his father, Ozzy Osbourne.
Acting as a producer on the upcoming film, Jack explained that he has found himself serving as the main bridge between the Hollywood production team and his parents, Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne.
“We’re working on my dad’s movie right now, and I’m one of the producers on it. We’re doing it at Sony Studios. And I’m really kind of in the trenches with that. And it’s funny. Out of all the team assembled on it, with these amazing producers and directors and act[ors], whatever, I’m the least qualified, but everyone just comes to me. I’m the middleman for everyone because if they need questions for my mom or if my mom needs questions for them. So I’ve found myself in this position where I’m the middleman with it all, and I’m really enjoying the experience and just learning about it,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
He quickly noted the unique challenges of the film industry, simply adding:
“Movies, they’re different. It’s a different animal.”
When Billy asked whether any details about the biopic had been revealed yet, Jack confirmed that they are still figuring out the roster with Sony Pictures:
“Well, it was announced that we were doing it with Sony Pictures. We haven’t done announced the cast yet, ’cause we haven’t settled [on all of it].”
Perhaps the most exciting news for fans is the shift in the script’s focus. Jack revealed that the movie will no longer attempt to cover several decades of Ozzy‘s life. Instead, it will zero in on the chaotic and legendary transition period between his exit from Black Sabbath and the launch of his solo career, heavily featuring his romance with Sharon and his time with legendary guitarist Randy Rhoads:
“Initially it was gonna go from kind of my dad as a young man to the kind of mid-’90s, but we’re shrinking it down,” Jack revealed. “We’re doing a rewrite right now. In my perfect vision of it, it would be kind of tail end of Sabbath, him going solo. [Because] you gotta have the love story. And that’s kind of the main focus of the film, and all the craziness that happened in the early ’80s and Randy‘s [Rhoads, late Ozzy guitarist] tragic death. But, yeah, it’s an origin story.”
Earlier in January, during a special holiday appearance on the SiriusXM show “Influenced”, hosted by Billy Morrison, Jack talked about potential actor who would portray Ozzy.
He revealed that the decision has already been made, though he remained tight-lipped on the specific name.
“We have our decided pick, and I can’t say anything [yet], but it’s a phenomenal, phenomenal actor,” Jack said at the time.
He also confirmed that the machinery behind the scenes is finally moving at a rapid pace.
“We are in full steam in the next phase of development with this movie. That’s an acted movie that we’ve been developing with Sony studios for, like, six years already.”
“We have a director attached, and we’re doing a rewrite right now.”
While the rest of the family is deeply involved in the minutiae of production—with Sharon, Jack, and Aimée Osbourne producing via their Osbourne Media banner—Ozzy himself seems less interested in the Hollywood process and more interested in the popcorn.
Jack shared his father’s blunt reaction to the constant status reports.
“And all he kept saying — I’d give him updates: ‘Oh, we met with this guy’, and ‘this is happening’. And he just would go, ‘I don’t give a s**t. Just tell me when it’s out so I can go see it.’”
