Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in “A Complete Unknown” (Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures/TNS)
Each year, another biopic takes over movie theaters and garners Oscar buzz. First it was “Elvis,” which starred Austin Butler as the King of Rock and Roll himself. Then came “A Complete Unknown,” in which Timothée Chalamet played Bob Dylan. In a few short weeks, it’ll be “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere,” with Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen.
It’s as if biopics are the price each up-and-coming actor has to pay when their star begins to rise in Hollywood. Studios produce these biographical movies like clockwork, but do audiences really want to see more of them? Why does Hollywood refuse to let them go?
First, it’s crucial to understand what makes a film a biopic. The term “biopic” has been used to describe films since the fifties and serves as a combination of the words “biography” and “motion picture.”
The aforementioned films are all musician biopics, but there are plenty more biographical films which highlight other notable figures like painters (“At Eternity’s Gate”), wrestlers (“The Iron Claw”), and theoretical physicists (“Oppenheimer”).
While many do, a biopic doesn’t necessarily have to detail someone’s entire life. Many biographical films narrow in on a certain period in the subject’s life and revolve the film around only a few years.
Biopics aren’t anything new, but they’re more prevalent than ever right now. One of the potential reasons for their popularity could be assured audience appeal.
Biographical films have the ability to pull in audiences across generations. By casting a young heartthrob, younger generations may buy a ticket even if they’re not familiar with the subject of the movie.
For example, Gen Z may not know Bruce Springsteen well enough to see a movie focused on his career, but many know and love Jeremy Allen White from hit series such as “The Bear” and “Shameless.”
These casting choices are strategic and done with audiences in mind. Hollywood knows how to use more than just the film’s plot to get moviegoers in theater seats.
As for older generations, they’re the ones who will connect with the nostalgia of the film’s subject matter. Musicians like Bruce Springsteen have provided the soundtrack to so many people’s lives, so pulling back the curtain appeals to longtime fans.
In a sense, biopics have a built-in audience. These guaranteed ticket sales mean a safe investment for movie studios and production companies.
Besides box-office success, biopics also make it easy to snag award nominations. Actors spend months or even years learning how to talk, sing, perform, behave, and even think like the legendary figures they’re playing. This hard work and dedication lands them a nod from the Academy more often than not.
In Oscars history, biopics account for 125 Best Picture nominations, and 356 acting nominations have come from the portrayal of historical figures.
These films collect an astonishing number of nominations and wrack up plenty of award wins as well.
In 2024, two out of four main acting categories at the Oscars were won by those starring in biopics: Cillian Murphy for his portrayal of J. Robert Oppenheimer and Robert Downey Jr. for playing Lewis Strauss in the same film.
The popularity and prestige of biopics can also be attributed to modern society’s relationship with celebrity culture.
In the day and age of social media, we’re closer than ever to public figures. We’re used to seeing (and often feel entitled to) the private lives of our favorite actors, athletes, and singers.
A few decades ago, this wasn’t the norm. The lives of celebrities were revealed in bits during interviews by the celebrities themselves, or they were exposed unethically in tabloids or paparazzi shots.
Now, celebrities invite us in. We see slideshows on Instagram of their daily life as well as milestone moments like their weddings and children’s births.
This arguably contributes to the recent uptick in biopics. Audiences are hungry for exclusive details and behind-the-scenes drama, which is exactly what biopics give them.
However, there’s always a possibility of the market becoming oversaturated. For example, Director Sam Mendes announced last year he’ll be directing four Beatles biopics all set for release in April 2028. While dedicated Beatles fans may sit for over eight hours of Beatles content, a casual audience member may not.
Time will only tell how long it takes for audiences to become tired of biopics entirely. A popular complaint of modern cinema is the lack of original ideas; everything seems to be a remake or a sequel. Biopics are limited in their originality since their narrative is pulled directly from life.
Their time in the spotlight might come to an end eventually, but for right now biopics are dominating Hollywood at both the box-office and award ceremonies.