“Priscilla” raked in 33 million dollars in the box office in 2024. “Oppenheimer” brought in 912.6 million dollars in 2023. Eight years ago, “I, Tonya” brought in 53.9 million dollars upon its release.
In recent years, biopics have continued to rise in popularity. They have dominated the box offices year after year, continuously bringing in millions of dollars in revenue globally.
”A Complete Unknown”, a highly anticipated Bob Dylan biopic released on Dec. 25, 2024 starring Timothee Chalamet earned 25.6 million dollars from 2,835 theaters according to Forbes. The film was also nominated for three Golden Globes, Timothee Chalamet for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, Edward Norton for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture and Best Motion Picture – Drama. In addition, Angelina Jolie was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for “Maria”, a biopic that focuses on famed opera singer Maria Callas.
In the coming years, there are, at least, 10 biopics set to be released.
Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen, biopics for each member of The Beatles—Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Joseph Quinn and Harris Dickinson all being eyed as top contenders, Jaafar Jackson as his uncle Michael Jackson, Julia Garner as Madonna, Tom Holland as Fred Astaire, Shailene Woodley as Janis Joplin and many more.
The list is seemingly endless and it raises the question: how many is too many?
The popularization of the biographical film genre is directly linked to the obsession and glorification of celebrities and the formation of parasocial relationships with idols.
For many, they follow and repost their favorite actor, singer or influencer, like every post and pay expensive fees to go see them in concert, or simply in the hopes of meeting them.
“Where we once looked to fictional characters to reflect us, we now look, increasingly, at the stars of history to become the figments of our inner lives,” Owen Gleiberman writes in an article for Variety. “We believe in them because we know they’re genuine, even as the movies transform them into characters. If the biopic is now back with a vengeance, that’s because it makes the cinema pulsate with something that has been in such short supply: the heartbeat of reality.”
The idea of celebrity has become increasingly widespread since the rise of TikTok, where many users have become popular for posting dances or creating some sort of series, turning a simple activity into a full-fledged career as a social media influencer.
People want to be friends with their favorite celebrities and even claim to know how they truly are as a person, which is highly unlikely, considering that most of them have PR (Public Relations) training so their answers are often tweaked and rehearsed to perfectly illustrate them in just the right light.
Our obsession with belonging to a fan base or supporting a particular celebrity can be connected to our desire to belong to a group or even just to follow a ‘leader’ of some sort.
An article by the National Library of Medicine states, “Celebrity worship, defined as an obsessive fascination with a famous person, has been associated with several mental health problems, such as symptoms of depression and anxiety, dissociation, and body image concerns.”
Singer Chappell Roan has spoken out about this obsession publicly in a statement on her social media accounts: “I chose this career path because I love music and art and honoring my inner child, I do not accept harassment of any kind because I chose this path, nor do I deserve it.”
Celebrities, like Roan, deserve privacy and respect from fans. Because of their lives in the spotlight, many feel as if these famous people ‘owe’ them something or as if that is their price for fame. When actors step in the roles of these famous people, it’s almost like a double-whammy: both a famous person—people think they owe them something, playing a famous person—who people still continue to idolize long after their deaths or fall from fame.
“I really enjoy biopics and think that they are a great way to tell someone’s life story or the story of a major event,” Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School senior Sonya Shah said. “I prefer them over a documentary and feel like I am able to get a better understanding or [intimate] look into a person’s life.”
Biopics don’t seem to be decreasing in popularity any time soon, so film fanatics can only look on to see how the genre continues to expand and develop as time goes on. Hopefully this does not come at the price of celebrities’ lives and sanity.
