Hollywood has been circling a new David Bowie biopic, but the project remains frustratingly on hold, leaving fans impatient.
Studios have yet to commit to the untitled film, which promises to explore Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust years and the private life that has captivated generations.
Observers suggest caution may be part of the reason - portraying one of music’s most iconic figures in a niche way is no small gamble and if it flops in the box office it will be a massive financial loss and embarrassment.
The ongoing delay in securing a studio deal hints at the tricky balance: creating a commercially successful film while doing justice to Bowie’s cultural status.
The film if it hits the big screens will be adapted from Suzi Ronson’s memoir, Me And Mr Jones: My Life With David Bowie And The Spiders From Mars, detailing Bowie’s rise to fame in the early 1970s.
Suzie, wife of Bowie’s guitarist Mick Ronson, told The Sun: “The book has now been auctioned to be made into a major motion picture. It hasn’t been bought but we are hoping it will be soon and it will be a great movie about the Ziggy Stardust days and his rise to fame.”
The memoir also reveals intimate details of Bowie’s private life. She recounted a one-night encounter with the singer while he was still married to his first wife: “The bedroom at his home was pink with a gold ceiling.
“Everybody thought he was so gay. I was curious about him. I think Angie set me up… David called me and said: ‘Why don’t you come over and do my hair?’ So I went up to London, had a great meal and he kind of seduced me.
“David used to mark his territory. He was definitely flamboyant in that regard.” Bowie’s transformation into Ziggy Stardust, with fiery red hair and glam rock costumes, is another highlight.
Ronson added: “He showed me a photo of a girl with spiky hair and said, ‘Can you do that?’ I thought, ‘This is a girl’s hairstyle. I didn’t have the dye.
“No one had product in those days… With that bright red hair, he looked incredible. He looked like Ziggy Stardust. The ladies loved Bowie and the band in their glam rock outfits.”
The untitled film is expected to combine the spectacle of Bowie’s stage performances with a candid look at his off-stage life, including relationships and choices that helped define his legacy.
Casting and release dates remain unannounced, keeping fans in suspense. The combination of high expectations, period detail, and personal storytelling makes this a potentially risky project for Hollywood, which could explain the cautious approach.
For now, audiences must wait. The story of Bowie’s rise, his Ziggy Stardust persona, and his private life remains tantalisingly close yet frustratingly out of reach.
