In a long line of rockstar biopics, it looks like Ozzy Osbourne is next at bat. Variety reports that the former Black Sabbath frontman will be the subject of an upcoming biopic from Oscar-nominated writer Lee Hall, following his decades-long bond with manager and wife Sharon Osbourne, a pairing that exploded to popularity in the early 2000s with their reality show, The Osbournes.
No details about the film, which remains untitled, have been released, but it will feature a number of iconic tracks from both Osbourne’s career with Black Sabbath and his own solo career. The film will be produced through Polygram Entertainment, the film and television arm of Universal Music Group. The studio boasts a number of successful music biopics and documentaries, including The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart? and The Go-Go’s, highlighting the all-female band of the same name, so Ozzy and Sharon’s story seems to be in good hands.
“Our relationship at times was often wild, insane and dangerous but it was our undying love that kept us together,” said Sharon Osbourne in a statement to Variety. “We’re thrilled to partner with Sony Pictures and Polygram to bring our story to the screen.”
Osbourne married Sharon — née Arden — on Independence Day in 1982, after having worked under her father, as he managed Black Sabbath and eventually moving on to become Ozzy’s manager when he was fired from the band in 1979. She is credited with reviving her husband’s career in heavy metal music by founding the annual concert Ozzfest, which ran for twelve year and put Ozzy Osbourne back on the map.
Sharon and her children Jack and Aimée Osbourne will produce the film through their label Osbourne Media, which has produced a number of successful scripted and unscripted projects, including a number of documentaries surrounding Ozzy’s career, such as God Bless Ozzy Osbourne and Biography: The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne, which recently headlined the 2020 SXSW Film Festival.
Michele Anthony and David Blackman are producing the project for Polygram, with Andrea Giannetti overseeing development for Sony. No projected release date has been announced.