Lizzois set to make her big-screen starring debut. She’s signed on to star inRosetta, a new biopic ofSister Rosetta Tharp, the groundbreaking musician known as the Queen of Rock and Roll. Deadline reports that Lizzo will produce the film forAmazon MGM Studios, as well.
Lizzo, the Grammy-winning musician bornMelissa Viviane Jefferson, will star in the film as Tharp, who was born in 1915 and became a sensation in the 1930s and 40s as a gospel singer. She was one of the first musicians to popularize the electric guitar, and was a key figure in the creation of what would become rock and roll. Rock legends likeLittle Richard,Johnny Cash, andTina Turnercited her as an influence on their musicianship, and she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. However, she remains a somewhat obscure figure among the public:Rosettawill be the first project to bring her life story to the big screen. According to the film’s logline, it will capture a specific time in Tharp’s life as she “must navigate societal constraints, conceal her love for another woman, and ultimately transform a wedding into one of the most legendary concerts in history—the first stadium show.“Rosettais in development, and does not yet have a director attached.
What Other Movies and TV Shows Has Lizzo Starred In?
WhileRosettawill be her first leading role, Lizzo is no stranger to the big or small screens. She made her big-screen acting debut in 2019’sHustlers, playing a flute-playing exotic dancer. In 2023, she appeared in the third season ofThe MandalorianalongsideJack BlackandChristopher Lloyd, as a duchess dealing with an apparent droid uprising. She has also loaned her voice to the 2019 animated featureUglyDolls, the Adult Swim comedy seriesBrad Neely’s Harg Nallin' Sclopio Peepio, and a 2023 episode ofThe Simpsons, in which she played both a talking elf doll and herself. She has also been featured in the documentariesLove, LizzoandBeyoncé’s concert filmRenaissance, and hosted the reality competition seriesLizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls.
Rosetta will be produced by Lizzo,Kevin Beisler(Marry Me), and Significant Productions’Nina Yang BongioviandForest Whitaker.Natalie Chaidez(The Flight Attendant) andKwynn Perry(The Burned Photopodcast) are writing the screenplay.
Rosettais in development;no director, additional casting, or release date have yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
