FEATURE:
Make Dreams a Reality
IN THIS PHOTO: Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks in Rotterdam in 1977/PHOTO CREDIT: Barry Schultz
Can Margot Robbie’s Comments About Playing Stevie Nicks Lead to a Fleetwood Mac Biopic?
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I am on a bit of…
IN THIS PHOTO: Margot Robbie/PHOTO CREDIT: Mario Sorrenti for Vanity Fair
a music biopic kick at the moment! I have written about Michael Jackson, and Amy Winehouse recently. Both sadly-missed artists have biopics about them coming soon. I have also, as I often, been musing as to whether we will ever get a Blondie biopic. This is a drum I like to beat quite a lot! I am not sure what other music biopics are planned this year, but there are not too many big ones on the horizon. I guess more will come to light but, as I say when writing about music biopics, it is not as easy as writing a script, casting your lead(s) and off you go. Whether that artist is alive or not, you need to get permission and approval. I do know there is a Carole King biopic coming where the lead, Daisy Edgar-Jones, seems like an interesting choice. I am sure she will be fantastic but, as a non-Jewish actress, there is a bit of criticism towards the makers of Beautiful in terms of their casting. I have mentioned this before, so I shall not cover old ground. What I mean is casting and getting the tone right is tricky. Also, in terms of the artists you bring to the screen. It can be unpredictable when it comes to box office and whether that film will make a lot of money. Some biopics, such as Bohemian Rhapsody fly, whilst others, such as the recent biopic, Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, struggle.
IN THIS PHOTO: Fleetwood Mac circa 1977/PHOTO CREDIT: Mick Hutson/Getty Images (via Rolling Stone)
Everyone has their dreams of biopics that do not exist (or have done in the past but need to be redone). For me, I would say Blondie, Jeff Buckley, Public Enemy, and Beyoncé would be in the top places. One biopic I have talked about relates to Fleetwood Mac. Seeing as one of their members, Christine McVie, recently died, it would be a remarkable tribute to have a biopic where she features! Such a pivotal member and exceptional songwriter, I think there would be desire and demands for a Fleetwood Mac biopic. With such a long career (and line-up changes), it is hard knowing where to start or focus on. I do feel the period leading up to and after Rumours (1976-1978) would be fascinating. Such a time of turbulence, genius and change, a well-balanced biopic could be a massive hit. Fleetwood Mac are a band with a wide and loyal fanbase, so it would make a lot at the box office. I also feel the reviews could be really good if they cast well. My favourite member of Fleetwood Mac is Stevie Nicks. There are a few potential choices when it comes to who should play her. An actress I keep suggesting should play Debbie Harry in a Blondie biopic has inadvertently put her name in the frame to play Stevie Nicks (who is soon embarking on a solo tour). Margot Robbie would be a wonderful choice. Even though she is taller than Stevie Nicks and is not a dead ringer, they are similar in looks. Robbie is such a versatile actress, she could portray Nicks with nuance, warmth and remarkable skill.
Far Out Magazine are among those who documented recent news. Robbie talked about playing Nicks in a potential biopic about Fleetwood Mac – and she also suggested another fascinating music biopic idea that should come to life:
“Margot Robbie is interested in playing Fleetwood Mac singer Stevie Nicks in a biopic.
The actor, whose big break came in Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, has recently been promoting her newest film, Babylon. Directed by La La Land’s Damien Chazelle, the movie is an epic period comedy-drama which charts the rise and fall of an ensemble cast of characters during Hollywood’s transition from silent to sound cinema.
Robbie plays aspiring actor Nellie LaRoy alongside Brad Pitt, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Li Jun Li, and Tobey Maguire. So far, the film has received mixed reviews, criticised for being overstuffed and excessive.
During a recent interview with NME, the star, also known for her roles in I, Tonya and Suicide Squad, was asked which musician she’d most like to play in a musical biopic. With the success of recent films such as Elvis, Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman, it seems likely that Hollywood will churn out another big-budget biopic soon, and who better to play the leading role than one of the industry’s current biggest stars?
Robbie responded: “Stevie Nicks would be fun. I think everyone has been trying to do a Janis Joplin [biopic] for a long time too.” Fleetwood Mac have not been portrayed in a biopic before, although there were rumours in 2011 that Lindsey Lohan would be playing the singer, which Nicks later denied.
In the same interview, Robbie’s co-star Calva suggested the creation of a Frank Zappa biopic: “Can you imagine a biopic of Frank Zappa? I don’t know if I’m the guy, but that would be a cool movie. I’d have to grow the ‘tache”.
I like the fact Robbie also mentioned a Janis Joplin biopic. That would be a really great project and, as someone who I think has her heart in the late-1960s/early-1970s, you can see Robbie embodying Joplin and turning in a stunning performance! I am piqued by the idea of Robbie as Nicks. I am not sure who would play Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie, John McVie, and Lindsey Buckingham. Maybe Paul Mescal (with a wig and facial hair) could play Buckingham? I think that dynamic between Nicks and Buckingham is important, as they were splitting and very tense recording Rumours. So too were Christine and John McVie. Mick Fleetwood was also experiencing relationship troubles, so it was a very boiling and tense camp to be part of. To me, Nicks’ Dreams is the standout of Rumours. I can picture Margot Robbie as Nicks writing that song and then nervously taking it to Buckingham. It is a beautiful song that has compassion and positivity at its heart – whereas Buckingham’s songs about Nicks were a lot crueller and spiteful. I love Nick’s compassion and incredible talent! She was also quite troubled and struggled with addiction to cocaine. The entire band were doing a lot of it during Rumours, but it seemed to impact Nicks more. A complex, compelling and one-of-a-kind human, the fact that she is still with us and recording music (she will appear on Dolly Parton’s forthcoming album). I am not sure whether rumours and any speculation will result in a Fleetwood Mac biopic (or one featuring just Stevie Nicks), but it has lit a bit of a spark. I can well see it coming together, with Margot Robbie playing Nicks. With that timeless and remarkable soundtrack backing the action, I think a biopic would be…
A huge success.