Cher is reportedly searching for an unknown actress to play her in a biopic, saying that she doesn't believe a known name would be the best choice. Cher's upcoming biopic was first revealed in a tweet posted on May 19. Cher announced she would be working with the producers of Mamma Mia, Judy Craymer, and Gary Goetzman to bring her life story to movie screens. Cher stated her friend Eric Roth would write the screenplay. Roth last worked with Cher on the film Suspect back in 1987. He also penned the screenplays for the hugely successful Tom Hanks vehicle Forrest Gump and the remake of A Star Is Born with Lady Gaga.
Cher's life story has been a hot property for years. It was first adapted into a Broadway musical titled The Cher Show which made its debut in the winter of 2018. Three actresses played the role of Cher in various stages of her life, including Stephanie J. Block, Teal Wicks, and Micaela Diamond. The musical took viewers through Cher's life from the time she was a child through her marriage to Sonny Bono, her relationship with her mother, a successful movie career, and her domination of the pop music charts for over 50 years. Cher announced in 2018 that her official memoir was forthcoming. An essay collection The First Time, in which the entertainer recounted various events from her life, was released in late 1998, shortly after Bono's death. Cher last appeared on-screen in the 2018 film Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again.
Cher teased some details regarding casting in an interview with Variety where she claimed she would like an unknown to portray her in the film and not an already established actress. There has been no other information released as of yet by either Cher or the movie studio regarding the film's status.
“We were talking about it yesterday, and we’re just trying to think of [actors]. I said, ‘I don’t think we know her yet.’”
There are pros and cons to an established actress playing Cher versus a newcomer. A known name would give a box office draw to the production and more traction in the press. However, a newcomer who has no other previous works following them could really sink their teeth into this characterization and make this role uniquely their own. There is also the possibility of having multiple actresses play this role, as the film will likely span almost 60 years in Cher's public life, which would make it difficult for one actress to portray.
Cher's biopic will follow a surge of music films over the past several years including Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, and Judy. Also slated for an upcoming release this year and next are films detailing the lives of legendary musicians to Elvis Presley, Leonard Bernstein, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Boy George, Marianne Faithful, and Teddy Pendergrass, to name a few. There will be plenty of material to choose from considering Cher's decades-long career, spanning from her beginnings as part of a duo alongside Bono through her evolution into an Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy winner.
Source: Variety