Here are some photos of Amy Adams a few weeks ago at the GLSEN Respect Awards in Los Angeles, and she looks pretty fantastic in this little black dress. Amy is one of the only actresses out there who looks really good with flat-ironed hair, and she might not be a huge style icon, but she usually manages to look occasion appropriate and knows how to dress for her figure.
In terms of her career, Amy rarely makes a misstep in that regard either. She consistently surrounds herself with good talent and acclaimed directors (although we’ll see how Zack Synder treats Man of Steel), and the only true wrong move she’s made is that awful romantic comedy, Leap Year. Now Amy has signed onto play Janis Joplin in an upcoming biopic indie film, which will likely be directed by Lee Daniels, who helmed Precious and The Paperboy (the one where Nicole Kidman pees on Zac Efron). This sounds a bit like Oscar bait, but Amy can probably at least pull off the role even if the film itself is a disaster, right?
Adams is attached to star as the queen of rock ‘n’ roll in the Janis Joplin project titled Get It While You Can. Lee Daniels is in talks to direct [the] Janis Joplin biopic that has Amy Adams attached to star as the queen of rock ‘n’ roll.
Robert Katz and Andrew Sugerman are producing along with Ron Terry, who wrote the screenplay with his wife, Theresa Kounin-Terry. Jay Tobin is exec producing.
Joplin was the hard-living singer behind such rock classics as “Piece of My Heart” and “Me and Bobby McGee.” She crested on the wave of the 1960s counterculture as one of the faces of hippiedom, and she performed at Woodstock.
Joplin, who has influenced artists ranging from Stevie Nicks to Florence Welch (of Florence + the Machine), died of a heroin overdose in 1970, just weeks after Jimi Hendrix succumbed to his drug demons, giving a one-two punch to the face of the Age of Aquarius.
Daniels’ involvement is the latest development for the project, which over the years has had Fernando Meirelles and Catherine Hardwicke attached as directors, Renee Zellweger as star and Temple Hill as producers.
The project is independently financed, and there have been preliminary talks with Focus Features about coming on board, though no deal has been made. An early 2013 production start is being eyed.
Daniels, who garnered acclaim and an Oscar nomination for his 2009 gritty drama Precious, followed that up with Southern thriller The Paperboy, which stars Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron and Nicole Kidman and is now in theaters.
[From Hollywood Reporter]
The way I see it, this will be a challenging role for Amy even though the girl can sing. She has experience playing singers in Enchanted and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, but Janis had a very distinctive, amazing voice that will be hard to replicate without sounding like Axl Rose in “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Thank goodness Renee Zellweger isn’t still playing Janis though! Can you imagine?
Photos courtesy of WENN
F**k no! ◕ ︿ ◕
Amy is gorgeous; Janis was a pig with a horrible voice.
Janis was not a pig. She just wasn’t pretty. It’s ok for women not to be pretty. Adams is probably too pretty for this role and would have to wear a prostetic on her face.
Dark, with such comment as that, I sincerely doubt you look better than Janis or sing at least like her.
And yes, she was pretty; in fact, she was gorgeous. It’s a shame you can only see the type of beauty the society wants us to swallow.
Wow Dark X, that comment actually brought tears to my eyes.
Dark X, how old are you? Don’t bother answering—it doesn’t matter. If you are old enough to remember Janis, you ought to remember that her passionate singing & stage presence kicked the ass of almost everyone else out there. This is a clip of Janis at the Monterey Pop Festival—I’m putting it here for anyone who wants to see Mama Cass Elliott’s reaction to Janis @ 3:26 & again @ 5:17.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui4c0PKvVMU&feature=colike
Yes, the sound quality is awful—that’s not the point.
Good thing you’re not The Judge of Joplin.
Thanks, EC. I still remember exactly where I was and who I was with when I first heard her album, Kozmic Blues.
Dark X, You need an education, man.
I really doubt this biopic will ever get made. they’ve only been talking about it for over 20 yrs now and in that time Ive heard of at least 20 different people that were supposed to play her.
As a long time, die hard Joplin fan I can tell you it will be a hard role for anyone. Im not familiar w/Amy Adams to guess if she’ll do a decent job or not but it’s going to be a tough role for whoever just b/c of how unique Janis was.
Well, like Andre’ 3000 was said to be playing Jimmie Hendrix for the last several years and nothing new came about unitl recently…but it did finally happen. & HE had to be the guy playing him. I think that bio-pic will be amazing. This one, dunno. They will have to give her a fatter nose and she will need to gain some weight & give her acne scars. The voice is what will be tough, she had a whiskey voice even when she spoke. Renee’ would have been an insult playing her. My gawd. I didn’t know she was ever involved. Eww!
I can’t wait for the Jimi movie to come out! Andre seems like the perfect choice. I sure hope he can act though.
I tend to agree with you, Macey. This movie isn’t listed on Amy Adams’ imdb page, either.
I think Jodie Foster could have pulled it off 20 years ago. Or, if you were going to give a singer a chance at the roll, I think Melissa Etheridge would have been able to replicate the voice. I just can’t think of a 20-something that could pull it off, except maybe Blohan ;P
Heard about it in the late 90’s that Renee Z was attached to this Janis biopic.
Nothing against her, but I’m over with the biopic trend: The Queen, the King’s speech; the Iron Lady, and then we will have Lincoln (Daniel Day Lewis BARF!!) and I don’t know what else.
You may be the only person on the planet who would say “barf” to DDL.
I’m not a fan of DDL either. Watching him in his roles always makes me tired. He just overworks everything, nothing looks easy and natural for him.
Personally, I cannot wait to see “Lincoln”. It looks to be astonishingly real.
I’d love to see a Freddie Mercury biopic! Although I don’t know who could pull off Freddie.
There is a Mercury biopic in the works with Sacha Baron Cohen as FM.
Agree, apsutter. Anyone who says Barf! ought to watch Last of the Mohicans & report back.
Well, a would be better than a remake of something so recent that we still remember the first version, which was better.
Amy Adams is one of those actresses who doesn’t draw a lot of attention to herself and tends to blend with the crowd, so it is hard to gauge her talent on this one. I think casting her is either going to be a really good idea or an awful idea. We won’t know until we see the movie.
u must see junebug. I have been a fan ever since. if it happens, she would do it justice.
I agree that she doesn’t draw attention to her but I disagree that she blends in.
On the contrary, I think she’s one of those actresses that just cares more about acting than being in a tabloid and so when I see her in films I’m always totally stunned by how good she is.
She vanishes into roles with alarming intensity. She’s amazing. Do I see her as Janis? Not sure. But I think she’s one of the best actresses working right now.
Hmm. When i think of Amy I think: Cute. Can’t imagine her as Janis…just can’t.
+1
I think Amy is too pretty to play this person but I guess anything is possible if the person is a good actor. I for one think Amy is really good. She was excellent in the movie with Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. I forget the name of it. I guess in the same way Charlize Theron played that serial killer in the movie Monster. She didn’t look her normal gorgeous self. So I guess the make-up department can make Amy look average.
I just really don’t know! I love Janis and she will really, really have to rock the role to pull it off.
All of the recent biopics have the actresses playing people that are so much younger.
Janis was 27 when she died but IMO she looked older. The booze and drugs really made her rough. Maybe it’s a role she can pull off. I just saw
“The Master” and AA looks much younger than her age.
Amy looks beautiful in the first picture. Neutral about her playing Janis Joplin though.
Bedhead, why haven’t you (CB) covered Joaquin’s latest interview that he did for the Interview Magazine? I mean, you don’t have to, but I’d love a Joaquin post once in a while.
I agree. More Joaquin, please.
I third the Joaquin suggestion!
Hey, I liked Leap Year! (I know, I know still thought it was cute though, sue me)
And if she can sound like Joplin, then I think she can do it but that’s something I’d have to see/hear to judge..
me too! ive watched it several times. it might not make me laugh out loud constantely but it was enjoyable and i like the irish guy
+1 to both comments 🙂
I liked Leap Year too! Thought it was cute. But for some reason in the back of my mind I kept imagining Reese Witherspoon in the lead. “It screamed Reese Witherspoon rejected this role!” to me.
Leap Year wasn’t as bad as the critics said it was. It was a typical chick flick/rom com. No harm in that. I’ve watched it several times and it’s the type of film that you put in when you don’t want to think, just watch the beautiful Irish countryside and two attractive leads fall in love. For the most part, Adams chooses good roles and I think she looks a bit like Joplin. I’m tired of biopics too, so this is something I wouldn’t pay to see regardless of who plays Joplin. If she pulls it off, I could see her being nominated for an Oscar for this role.
I think she’ll be great. Great actress and she can sing. We tend to think of her as goody goody because of Enchanted, but I think she has shown a lot of range in other roles and will nail this.
However, after reading reviews of the Paperboy, Lee Daniels directing this frightens me a bit 🙁
This is where I am with this. I like Amy very much, am a fan of Janis and think Amy could do a really good job. I was disheartened to see Lee Daniels directing though. I do not think he is the right match for the project, IMO.
Sure, she can pull it off but my god, she will have to wear a fake fat nose to be believable.
Joplin was this mix of gravely earthiness and vunerability I think Adams is really talented but I don’t see it.
I don’t see it either. Amy seems too sweet and demur to play Janis. If anyone has not seen the movie for Monterey International Pop Festival, be sure to watch it. That was Janis at her very best.
She was pretty feisty and less than demure in The Fighter with Mark W. I reckon she could pull it off.
+1
Janis was wild, vibrant and energetic but shy and sensitive at the same time.
I can´t judge Amy because I didn´t see a movie with her yet, so I just hope for the best.
There was a girl on the first season of the VOICE Australia (she looked like Nic Kidman and K-Stew combined) who would be perfect for the role if she could act. This girl’s voice…wow!
And on a similar note, Crystal Bowersox.
Yep, Crystal Bowersox would be perfect.
Karise was great – her voice was so amazingly awesome!
There is also another Janis Joplin biopic in pre-production that will have Nina Arianda starring as Janis.
I love them both. It’s not always about looks, but embodiment. Michelle Williams didn’t look anything like Marilyn Monroe, but pulled it off perfectly. I think Amy will do alright.
Thank you! You’re exactly right. It’s not enough to just look like someone. I mean, with enough makeup and latex you can look like almost anyone you want. It’s about getting into the heart and soul of someone in order to come across as authentic. Amy Adams is not only a terrific actress but she’s also a professionally trained singer. If anyone can pull it off, I think she can. I’m a huge Janis Joplin fan, though, so I agree that it’s going to be difficult for anyone. She was such a true original, and there’s a reason why alot of critics consider her to be the greatest female vocalist of all time. So given Amy Adam’s track record, I feel like she’s a solid choice to play Janis.
I agree. When I first heard about Amy doing this a couple of years ago I hated the idea, but after seeing her in Junebug, Doubt, and The Fighter I think she’s actually very versatile and talented. I love Janis, too, so I just hope it’s good.
@kristin, Im’a let you finish, but Beyonce is the greatest female vocalist of all time ;P
She’s the real deal as an actress and think she’ll pull it off. Career making.
If she can do to Janis what Charlize Theron did to Aileen Wournos . . .
I’m sorry, are we forgetting how she also completely dragged down Julie & Julia? If it weren’t for Meryl, I wouldn’t have been able to stomach it. (badum-tssss)
She can do gritty (The Fighter) but she’ll have to train pretty hard to get her voice just so. Whenever she talks/sings she totally sounds like some cloying Disney character.
I quick search says someone else is playing and directing though….http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/813165/broadway-star-nina-arianda-wins-a-pearl-of-a-movie-part-janis-joplin
She did fine in “Doubt” though, acting opposite Meryl Streep as well (I think both Meryl and Amy got an Oscar nomination for “doubt”?) I think it she wasn’t the problem in “Julie& Julia” but simply the script, Meryl had a more interesting story line and the more interesting character.
Seriously-that Julie woman was an asshole! I could barely get through that book and I LOVE Julia Child and anything to do with her.
If anything, I thought Amy did a good job with a really unlikeable role in Julie and Julia.
Julie Powell is not a nice person. Amy was stuck playing a really difficult woman in that movie. The character wasn’t supposed to be likeable. That was the entire point.
If anything, Amy made her somewhat likeable when she isn’t at all.
Anything is possible.
Lindsay Lohan as Liz, anyone? Never in a million years did I think that would happen.
Way better choice than Bette Midler! (The Rose was supposed to be based on Janis. Didn’t work for me.)
There is a very slight resemblance. I am actually excited to see if she can pull this off. She has such a sweet demeanor and look, it will be very interesting to see her transformation. My bet is that she can. She’s a great actress, one of my favorites.
Really? All I can see is a young Nicole Kidman!
No, no, and no. She is totally wrong to play Janis. The only person I can think of to play Janis right now is Joss Stone, she has the right body type and the right voice type and she would just kill it in my opinion.
You know, until I read your comment I was thinking this was, finally, a good choice. I mean, I would much rather see Amy Adams play Janis than Renee Z – that idea was beyond ridiculous. But you’re right, Joss Stone would be the perfect choice. She’s got everything someone playing Janis needs to have. Maybe someone will figure that out!
Agree, Joss would be great.
I agree, Joss would be a much better choice.
YES x 10 to the Joss Stone suggestion. Stone has already acted, having had a small part in The Tudors. She can certainly sing.
Amy is endearing but all I think of is her in the beautiful white and blue dresses “singing a happy song” from Enchanted 🙂 which is ok but she’s not Janis.
I think Adele would be a much better choice, voice wise and physically.
Um no.
Janis was petite compared to Adele. Adele for Mama Cass, maybe. Janis was not emaciated but never heavy either.
isnt whatever needs to be known about janis joplin already out there? having someone so ‘cutesy’ play the amazing janis would just be a disservice to both imo. i agree with whomever said she was very hammy in julie/julia. i finally watched it on cable and was reminded why i fell in love with meryl streep’s talent. amy/julie was just annoying. meryl as child was a delight. please, arent there anymore original thinkers out there? cant anyone come up with something brilliant that has never been done before? i implore you…..
She will need a nose prosthetic and some makeup so her face looks rougher. She’s really prettier than poor Janis, but with the right changes, it might work, can’t be any worse than casting Tom Cruise as the 6’5″ Jack Reacher.
It’s a flattering choice, actually. It couldn’t have been easy for Joplin being a woman in still a very chauvinistic industry back then and to be played by girly and talented Adams is kind of a soft even kind way to picture her.
Pink was up for it a while ago. Voice wise she would have been fantastic.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPZMLYNx7E&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBNxlxckFss&feature=fvwrel
Yes. She’d be great!
I love Amy’s beautiful strawberry hair 🙂 *Jealous* Amy really is one of the few actresses out there who I honestly think can do no wrong acting-wise (I do wish she and Darren Le Gallo would just give up the whole 1/2 decade+ ‘engagement’ farce though. At some point it’s like, either sh*t or get off the engagement pot! You know?) I really do put her in the same category as a young Meryl Streep or La Blanchett; she really is that good! With that said, this role should really push her acting chops to the limit. Amy is seriously method but as far as I know she’s never taken on playing a real person before (and certainly never one who was so iconic)… Whatever the case, I’m looking forward to it 🙂
This is a horrible thing to say but….do you think the waiting on the marriage on her part (because it’s clearly her who is putting it off) is because she’s not sure? She seems totally in love with him. But it does make me wonder sometimes.
Yea ! Like putting a wig on a housecat and casting thme as a Lion…..thats going work .!!!!!! or a trunk of a piglet and pretending its a baby elephant….Wrong Wrong Wrong !!!
Amy looks great here!
I too have doubts it will get made, but if it does, I think she might be a good choice. Anyone who thinks she’s too sweet and cute needs to watch the Fighter. She’s got range and talent, we’ll see how it goes.
She’s a good choice to play Janice, great actress.
Amy is a great actress and can probably pull it off, although on the surface she has little in common with Janis.
I think she is a wonderful actress, but she does not look like Janis IMO. Janis had a plain, rough look, and I know demeanor and make up can give Amy some of that, I just don’t think it will be enough. I hope I am wrong, because I really like Amy.
Hollywood doesn’t really care about physical similarities because they can use make up or prosthetics or they just need a big name to get the money for the film.
Look at Tom Cruise playing Jack Reacher, a fictional character in a popular book series. Jack Reacher is 6’5″, 50 inch chest, 210-250 pds, ice blue eyes and dirty blond hair. Tom Cruise got the role. Go figure. I guess he produced the film, but I am not sure.
amy is an EXCELLENT actress. She will no doubt turn in an award winning performance. I hope this movie gets made and soon.
+1
No. Janis was a wild child, rough around the edges. This Amy chick is too soft, too not right.
no clue who she is; but just looking at her, i say ‘no…hell no’. ‘janis’ is enough.
joplin did an interview with dick cavett that is worth checking out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOTEDnQ4Fvk&feature=related
I think Laura Prepon would be a great Janis!
I can see why you thought of that, but I don’t know if Laura has the charisma or the acting range.
Bad casting, pure and simple. I mean, get someone who is unknown, then, if this is the best they can do. It’s not like Amy is some huge draw to the box office.
No on Amy Adams. I’m not sure who could act in the place of Janis, but if they’re going to redo her songs, I think it should have either been Joss Stone or Pink. Their vocals remind me very much of Janis.
This could be just empty talk generated by Sophia B. Hawkins’ unrelated recent Janis Joplin production being put on by the Macha Theatre in West Hollywood (it opened two weeks ago). Lots of celebrities are showing up and talking about it, so, understandably, it resuscitates talk about the film.
That being said. I love Amy Adams. And, if the film goes through, I imagine she’ll be quite good, if not great. Capturing the voice is important, though, which Hawkins does. It seems like it would be a stretch for Adams, but, again, if the movie goes forward, there is a good reason why. Much of what Adams touches turns to gold.
My thoughts exactly. I love Adams and I agree that usually whatever she touches turns to gold.
That movie with Clint Eastwood wasn’t that great but SHE was great in it.
Call me a dork, but I can’t wait to see her play Lois Lane. It’s very possible that she is going to be the one humanizing thing in what could otherwise be an over the top comic book movie.
The younger sister from Rosanne should play her.
Nicole Kidman and Taylor Swift should play empty-headed mother and daughter.
I love Amy Adams and I’m continually shocked that people still peg her as being “soft” of “innocent.”
Have you ever watched her in an interview? She’s an intensely interesting woman sometimes coming out with these random rather….dark things. She’s interesting. There is much more to her than meets the eye.
On top of that, she has played some seriously tough roles at this point.
She was totally convincing as a white trash, tough as nails bar chick in The Fighter. She was sexy and trashy and I loved it.
She was scary as hell in The Master doing some fearless things as an actress that I don’t think other actresses might be willing to do.
Then I think about Sunshine Cleaning and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. She was sort of borderline neurotic in Pettigrew and ditzy and slutty and she totally pulled it off.
The reason she made such a convincing Disney Princess isn’t because she is actually a Princess—it’s because she’s a really, really good actress that takes every role intensely seriously.
Yeah, I Agree that Zach Snyder doing Superman is a concern. But I will bet money that whatever she touches as Lois Lane will be gold. I imagine she’ll play Lois Lane as a cross between Charlene in The Fighter and the career woman she played in Trouble With the Curve. She can do it. (Also, I’m intrigued by her and Henry Cavill paired together.)
Now, is she too PRETTY to play Janis? You know…she might be. Yes, I know they ugly these actresses up but there is something kind of sad about taking these beautiful woman and making them “ugly” for OScar bait as opposed to just casting average to unattractive looking women in these roles. But I guess that’s Hollywood for oyu.
I love Amy Adams. She can do anything so i have complete faith in her taking on Janis Joplin if the film happens. How she has doesn’t have an Oscar and Natalie Portman does, I don’t understand.
one can say many things about Janis but she was a sweetheart and as far as im concerned amy is too..so one positive thing found!
I have full confidence in Amy Adams that she will do well in this role. As for her not nailing the voice- either lip synching or intense training with pros can make the illusion come to life. No worries there AT ALL.
Can’t believe I’m gonna say this, but Kirsten Dunst would’ve been great as her!
joss stone maybe…with a lot of makeup and a prosthetic nose…def not amy.
I love Amy, but Janis wasn’t 30 when she died, and Amy’s nearing 40, and, quite frankly, Amy looks it. No knock against Amy, she looks great, but not for a 28 year old.
Adams plays younger quite convincingly. And, considering she is ten years Henry Cavill’s senior, Hollywood seems to believe so, also.
Currently, I have an easier time accepting 27-year-old-Adams than 33-year-old-Nicole-Kidman.
I hate when we hold men and women to different standards.
Men get to have huge roles where they play opposite younger women well into their 50’s. But women are cast out over 35.
Amy playing a mature character like Lois Lane is a positive thing because it’s a rare case where that gets turned on its head.
And I agree. She looks very young.
I really like this casting; obviously, Adams is more traditionally pretty than Joplin, but she also has the acting chops to do justice to the role. She can play layered emotions so well – I still remember how struck I was by her in Junebug.
Jackie Jormp-Jomp?
HA!
Janis herself said it wasn’t about being able to sing, it was about being able to find a way to “get under” the music. It’s going to be a tough role for anyone but Amy is the best name thrown around so far. Thank God it’s not Lindsay Lohan. I thought I heard her name over the years. Uugh.
I think Janis suffered for her looks and that this had much to do with her development. She couldn’t be pretty and feminine and “good.” Amy Adams is a good actress and obv wants the chance to play against type, but…it doesn’t seem fair somehow. Pink would be great (if she can act) because it seems as though she is coming from a similar place as Janis.
+1 Pink would be a great choice
I thought the black and white photo was leann rimes! lol
When I first read the title I was certain a Janis Joplin biopic had already been done…then I realized it was a plot-line on 30 Rock. I think I watch too much TV…
For years, I’ve thought the same person ought to play Janis: Joss Stone, Joss Stone, Joss Stone. Wonder if she was ever considered. She has acting experience, her hair is perfect for it, she has stage presence & most important, the *voice*.
Now if Tilda Swinton will just play David Bowie, I can fold up my amateur casting agent tent.
you are too funny!
😉
Oops, I didn’t see all the Joss Stone comments before I nominated her! Petition, anyone?
In the past I heard that they were considering Zooey Deschanel as well as Britney Spears for the role! It seems like they just can’t find the right fit. Joss Stone or Pink would have been cool, except you need a really talented actress to pull off the role so it doesn’t look like someone doing a cheap “impression” of Janis Joplin. Amy Adams has the talent, but physically and vocally doesn’t quite fit. It will be interesting to see how it turns out. Now, if we only had some news about the Jeff Bucklely bio that has been talked about forever.
they should’ve cast leanne rimes for this role..
I’m a little surprised by the choice, but ever since “The Muppets” I am biased toward Amy. I think she can do it. …Melissa Etheridge was also attached to this Joplin biopic for, gawd, 10 years maybe?