Pink Says a Janis Joplin Biopic Never Happened Because Producers Wanted a ‘Happy Ending’: ‘She Overdosed’
Pink was once a frontrunner for the role of Janis Joplin in a biopic about the classic rock musician’s life. The pop star recently revealed why she thinks the movie was never made, despite countless attempts by various filmmakers over the last few decades.
Pink dropped out of a Janis Joplin movie because of the casting ‘circus’
For years, filmmakers have been trying to make a biopic about the iconic rock star Janis Joplin. Several entertainers have been rumored to play the coveted lead role, including Zooey Deschanel, Amy Adams, Renée Zellweger, and Melissa Etheridge.
Pop star Pink was the frontrunner to play Joplin in a film called The Gospel According to Janis, but the “So What” singer dropped out of the project when she heard other stars like Lindsay Lohan and Scarlett Johansson were also being considered for the part (per Entertainment Weekly).
“They’re trying to turn it into some circus pop contest – who’s the ‘it’ girl who wants to play Janis?” Pink said (per Digital Spy). “Janis was so much deeper than that.”
Pink said filmmakers wanted the Janis Joplin movie to have a ‘happy ending’
During a Feb. 22 interview for The Howard Stern Show, Pink revealed that the Janis Joplin movie script she saw tried to give the rock star a “happy ending.”
“They want to make it a happy ending. It’s not a happy ending,” she said. “I mean, it’s a completion, but it’s not the truth.”
The true story of Joplin’s life ended in tragedy – the singer died of an accidental heroin overdose at age 27. She was found in her Los Angeles hotel room after failing to attend a scheduled recording session (per History).
Pearl, Joplin’s second and final album, came out three months after her death. It was the biggest hit of her career, holding the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 for nine weeks.
“They want it to be that Janis chose to just end it in a – no, dude, she overdosed,” Pink said. “And also, I wasn’t there, I can’t say the whole story, but it certainly wasn’t a happy ending.”
The pop singer said she thinks the rock star doesn’t want a movie about her life made
In her interview with Howard Stern, Pink was asked what happened to the rumored Janis Joplin movie project.
“I think, honestly, Janis doesn’t want it made,” she answered. “I think there’s a lot of things that go into that. I think it’s a lot harder to get a biopic done about a female. That’s why we don’t have that many.”
Pink said she knew other stars who were once attached to the project. “I just don’t think Janis wants it made,” she repeated. “Linda Perry was once slated to play Janis, Brittany Murphy, there’s been so many people – I mean, there’s had to have been at least 10 projects that didn’t fly. And to me, that’s a bigger – Janis wasn’t…” she gestured to the sky.
