Famous pop stars in cinema - even fictionalised ones - have always been a recipe for success. Having an already widely celebrated and well-loved figure makes it easy to develop them for the big screen. Crowds who have loved and followed artists for years - both of the older and younger generations - come to cinemas in droves to find out the juicy secrets of their favourite pop star.
Pop star biopics also present more ways than one to become successful: for example, Rocketman recorded an entirely new album of covered Elton John songs that appeared within the movie, which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 58 (June 2019) and No. 6 on the Billboard Soundtracks chart. Not only did the film do well, but the album encouraged a new rise in John's music - even encouraging people who hadn't seen the film to discover and stream his music. This helps to make the film more popular to a contemporary crowd, even if the pop star was popular decades before. The commercial appeal of songs, alongside the premise of a new film, allows for a cultural explosion of popularity for not only the film, but the subject of the movie. It's no surprise that pop stars have begun to beg for a biopic the minute their career begins to head downhill; a re-emergence of their music, with the excuse of cinema, is guaranteed to have a positive effect on their bank account.
Suddenly, people who hadn't considered seeing the film beforehand are buying tickets in the hopes of finding out the 'truth' about living a life of riches.
Then there's the appeal of the secrecy of the pop world. In most biopics surrounding bands and pop stars, the film usually centres around the glitz and the glamour, drugs and rock n roll. Ever heard the phrase "sex sells"? It works well in films where the pop star is already a subject of interest outside of the film itself. Suddenly, people who hadn't considered seeing the film beforehand are buying tickets in the hopes of finding out the 'truth' about living a life of riches. Previous questions that have gone unanswered - messy breakups, emotional fallouts - are dragged back up in the newly-retold versions of the pop star's life. There's nothing better than getting a glimpse into someone's life who actually lived; like a gossip session that has real life consequences. Who wouldn't want an inside scoop into the elusive pop star's lifestyle? Cinema has always thrived off of drama, and public drama is always what people want to hear about.
But then there's the issue of bias. Consumers get so caught up with needing to know all the juicy details of their favourite pop star's life onscreen that the actual film itself can lack depth and structure. For example, recent complaints have been made about Michael for being produced by Michael Jackson's family, and depicting an extremely one-sided and subjective view of Michael's life. There is no mention of drug misuse, as papers repeatedly reported on during Michael's life, nor mention of the controversies that Michael underwent during the second half of his life.
With a sequel reportedly in the works, it's unlikely that - as Jackson's family - the film will portray him in anything less than a positive light. Many families own the rights of pop stars, particularly deceased ones, and this can really affect the true art of the film. Biopics surrounding the Beatles are also set to hit the cinema in 2028, with previews already being shared on social media. But with the director (Sam Mendes) focusing on four separate films for each band member, is this yet another money-hungry cash grab for Beatles fans? With early criticism about the A-List cast, and the lack of authenticity behind their appearances, it seems unlikely that all directors are making pop-star biopics for the right reasons.
It seems inevitable that, given the recent popularity of pop star biopics, that the film industry would shoulder this responsibility maturely. However, despite not all biopics being as well-read or researched as they could and should be, it still doesn't stop fans from crowding cinemas to watch the newest insight into their favourite celebrities' life. The reason is clear: the public loves to know what they shouldn't. By being sat for these pop-star biopics, cinema gets more money, the pop star gets rich off their own reputation - and the public gets a kick out of thinking they get an exclusive glimpse inside the slippery world of money and fame. Win, win, win.