A Legendary Story Told Through Fresh Eyes
The music world is buzzing with news of an ambitious new project that promises to peel back the layers of one of America’s most beloved singer-songwriters. Veteran film professional John Ottman has signed on to direct Billy & Me, a feature film that will chronicle the formative years of Billy Joel before he became the household name known today. This isn’t your typical celebrity biopic, though. The film approaches Joel’s story from a unique vantage point, one that offers intimate access to the raw, unvarnished truth of his early career.
Rather than presenting aconventional cradle-to-fame narrative, Billy & Me focuses on the period when Joel was still a struggling musician searching for his identity. The story unfolds through the perspective of Irwin Mazur, who served as Joel’s first manager and discovered the young artist back in 1966. Mazur officially signed Joel in 1970 and guided his career through the crucial years leading up to his breakthrough deal with Columbia Records in 1972. This insider’s view promises to reveal a side of Joel that fans have rarely seen, capturing the determination, vulnerability, and raw talent that existed long before the world heard “Piano Man” and catapulted him to international stardom.
Filmmaking Talent and Production Details Take Shape
The production team is assembling rapidly as casting calls go out and logistics fall into place. Principal photography is scheduled to begin this autumn, with locations spanning Winnipeg, Canada, and New York City. These contrasting settings will authentically capture the different worlds Joel navigated during his ascent, from the intimate clubs of New York to the broader landscapes that shaped his early experiences.
This cinematic project arrives as a companion piece to the two-part HBO documentary And So It Goes, which captivated audiences in 2025. That documentary provided a comprehensive look at Joel’s life and career, leaving audiences hungry for more depth about his earliest days in the music industry. Billy & Me aims to fill that gap, offering a deeper exploration of the foundational relationships and experiences that molded the artist.
The production has secured exclusive life rights from Mazur, ensuring authentic access to his memories and perspectives. Additionally, the team has obtained rights from Jon Small, Joel’s longtime friend, accomplished drummer, and video director. Small brings invaluable credibility to the project, serving as a consultant, co-executive producer, and second unit director. His involvement guarantees that the film maintains historical accuracy and emotional authenticity throughout its runtime.
The Unconventional Chapter: Attila and Musical Experimentation
Small’s connection to Joel runs remarkably deep, dating back to their collaborative work in two early bands. He performed as Joel’s drummer in The Hassles, and later joined him in Attila, a short-lived but fascinating acid-rock duo that released a self-titled album in 1970. This experimental chapter stands in stark contrast to the polished pop and rock compositions that would define Joel’s later career.
Joel himself has been refreshingly candid about this period, describing the Attila album in unequivocally harsh terms as “psychedelic bullshit.” His self-deprecating humor about this era speaks to the artistic freedom and occasional missteps that characterize every musician’s journey toward finding their voice. By including this chapter, Billy & Me promises to present a complete picture of Joel’s evolution, celebrating both his triumphs and hisLearning curves along the way.
The Elephant in the Room: Joel’s Non-Approval
Despite the production’s impressive credentials and authentic storytelling approach, a significant shadow hangs over the project. The filmmakers do not have Billy Joel’s approval, rights to his extensive music catalog, or his personal life rights. These life rights grant a person or company the legal foundation to purchase and develop someone’s life story into a media format, and their absence represents a substantial obstacle for any biographical project.
A representative for Joel clarified the situation unequivocally in a statement to Variety. According to the statement, all parties involved have been officially notified since 2021 that they do not possess Joel’s life rights and cannot secure the music rights necessary for this undertaking. The representative emphasized that Joel has neither authorized nor supported this project in any capacity, warning that proceeding without proper authorization would be both legally and professionally misguided. Industry observers suggest this is precisely why the film will focus primarily on the perspectives of Mazur and Small rather than presenting itself as an official Joel biography. By framing the narrative through these specific lenses, the production can explore Joel’s early years without requiring his direct participation or blessing, though questions about how thoroughly the film can capture its subject’s essence without his involvement remain unanswered.
Elizabeth Weber: The Uncertain Presence
Another significant question mark surrounds the potential portrayal of Elizabeth Weber, Joel’s first wife and the muse behind numerous hit songs including “She’s Always a Woman” and “Just the Way You Are.” Her story intersects with this narrative in remarkably complicated ways that the film will need to navigate carefully.
Weber was married to Small before leaving him for Joel, a romantic realignment that directly contributed to the dissolution of Attila. The subsequent relationship between Joel and Weber would eventually produce some of his most beloved songs, though their union ultimately ended in divorce. This turbulent period marked one of the darkest chapters of Joel’s life, triggering a deep depression that led to suicide attempts, as he candidly discussed during And So It Goes.
Small played a pivotal role during this crisis, discovering Joel after one of his attempts and rushing him to the hospital. This harrowing experience catalyzed a reconciliation between the two men, eventually leading to a restored friendship. Weber, too, reconciled with Joel and later became his manager, demonstrating the complex, evolving nature of their personal and professional relationship. How Billy & Me will handle these sensitive dynamics remains to be seen, but the involvement of Small suggests the film will approach these topics with nuance and emotional honesty.
The Creative Team Assembles
Ottman brings formidable credentials to this project. Most recently, he served as lead editor on the Michael biopic, where he oversaw all creative aspects of post-production. His responsibilities included shaping performances, directing automated dialogue replacement sessions, and supervising the final sound mix. This hands-on experience across multiple facets of filmmaking positions him well to handle the multifaceted challenges of Billy & Me.
Adam Ripp will write the screenplay and produce the film under his ArtPhyl Pictures banner. His involvement adds another layer of experienced storytelling to the project. Financing is being coordinated by Jay Cohen, who previously served as Partner and Head of Film Finance and Distribution at the Gersh Agency before launching his own ventures. Cohen is also handling domestic distribution rights, suggesting the production has serious commercial ambitions.
The project’s musical integrity will be guided by Mitchell Leib, a Grammy Award-nominated music executive who spent nearly three decades as President of Music and Soundtracks at The Walt Disney Studios. His expertise ensures that whatever musical elements appear in the film will maintain the highest professional standards, even without access to Joel’s original compositions.
Voices Behind the Project
Jon Small has emerged as one of the most passionate advocates for this film, offering effusive praise for the final result. According to Small, Billy & Me represents “the most honest, heartfelt, and authentic portrayal of Billy’s early life and rise to becoming one of the greatest musical voices of our time.” He emphasized that the project is “grounded in truth, shaped with care, and built with the insight of people who genuinely know and love Billy.”
Small reflected on his unique qualifications to make such assessments, noting that he first met Joel when the future superstar was only sixteen years old. After reading the completed script, Small felt confident that the filmmakers truly understood the person Joel was before the world knew his name. He expressed frustration with how artist stories often become distorted through exaggeration and mythmaking, stating that Billy & Me instead presents the genuine history with integrity and respect that the subject deserves.
Ottman shared similarly enthusiastic sentiments about the project. He described the collaborative development process with Ripp as resulting in a story that is both deeply emotional and genuinely enjoyable. Ottman highlighted the specific focus on Joel’s formative years and his relationship with Mazur, the manager who recognized Joel’s extraordinary talent before Joel himself fully understood it.
As a filmmaker, Ottman admitted that aesthetic elements like the authentic period details, long hair, and cigarette smoke appeal to his visual sensibilities. However, he emphasized that what truly attracted him to the material was the fundamental humanity at its core. In Ottman’s assessment, the finished product manages to be simultaneously funny, heartbreaking, and ultimately very inspiring.
Representation and Industry Connections
The project’s industry connections extend to its representation structure. Ottman is represented by David Gersh and Abram Nalibotsky at the Gersh Agency, while Ripp works with Trevor Engelson at Underground. These established relationships suggest the production has solid backing and experienced guidance navigating Hollywood’s complex landscape.
As development continues and production ramps up, Billy & Me represents a fascinating experiment in telling a major artist’s story without their participation. Whether this approach will result in a compelling piece of cinema or a compromised final product remains to be seen. However, the passion of those involved, particularly Small whose personal history with Joel spans decades, suggests the project deserves serious attention when it eventually reaches audiences.
