In the wake of Ozzy Osbourne‘s passing, the long-in-development biopic about his epic and tumultuous love story with his wife and manager, Sharon, is gaining new momentum. A representative for Polygram Entertainment confirmed this week that the film is actively moving forward, with a director currently in negotiations and an official announcement expected “very soon”, according to Variety.
The update brings a renewed and poignant focus to the project, which will tell the story that Ozzy himself tragically and publicly wished he could have lived to see completed. The film, in development at Sony Pictures, is being produced by the Osbourne family and will be scripted by Lee Hall, who famously penned the screenplay for Elton John‘s acclaimed biopic, “Rocketman“.
In past interviews, the Osbournes have been clear that the film will be a raw and honest look at their lives, focusing on their relationship and the immense challenges they overcame together. Sharon has promised a film that is “a lot more real” than many other music biopics.
“We don’t want it to be squeaky, shiny clean and all of that,” she stated in a 2020 interview. “We’re not making it for kids. It’s an adult movie for adults.” She described the narrative not just as a rock and roll story, but as “a story about a survivor. No matter what life throws at you, you pick yourself up and you start again.”
The project’s current progress is made all the more heartbreaking by Ozzy‘s own words on the family’s podcast earlier this year. Discussing the film’s long development timeline, he lamented: “By the time they finish this film, I’ll be dead… I wanna be alive to f**king see it.”
Now, his story will be shared to the screen by his family. Sharon, along with their children Jack and the more reclusive Aimee Osbourne, are producing the film through their Osbourne Media label. Their deep involvement guarantees the project will have access to the full, iconic music catalog of both Black Sabbath and Ozzy‘s solo career. The family has previously suggested casting “a complete unknown” to play Ozzy in his early 20s, while Sharon has floated names like Florence Pugh to portray her.
The film is expected to cover not only their love story but also Sharon‘s volatile relationship with her father and former Black Sabbath manager, the infamous Don Arden, whom she broke away from to manage Ozzy‘s career.
With the recent passing of Ozzy Osbourne on July 22, the biopic has taken on a new level of significance. It will no longer be just a rock and roll romance, but the definitive, family-authorized telling of a legend’s life, and a final, major chapter in the legacy of the Prince of Darkness.
