Billy & Me: The Unauthorized Billy Joel Biopic Moves Forward

A New Perspective on the Piano Man's Early Years

The film is based on the life rights of Irwin Mazur, Joel's first manager, and Jon Small, Joel's former drummer and longtime friend.

A feature film titled Billy & Me is in development, chronicling the early career of musician Billy Joel. The project has not been authorized or supported by Joel, and the filmmakers do not possess his life rights or music rights.

Production Details

The film is directed by John Ottman and written by Adam Ripp, who is producing under ArtPhyll Pictures. Casting is underway, with principal photography scheduled to begin in fall 2026 in Winnipeg, Canada, and New York. Financing is being assembled by Jay Cohen, and Mitchell Leib, former President of Music and Soundtracks at Walt Disney Studios, serves as executive music producer.

Perspective and Narrative Focus

The story is told primarily from the perspectives of Irwin Mazur and Jon Small. The narrative covers Joel's formative years, including his time performing cover songs with his early band The Hassles. The film focuses on Mazur, who discovered Joel in 1966, signed him in 1970, and managed his career until Joel's deal with Columbia Records in 1972.

Because the production lacks Joel's music rights, the film will not use his original music.

Ottman stated the project is legally sound as it is based on the legal rights of Mazur and Small to tell their own stories.

Rights and Authorizations

Billy Joel's representative stated that Joel has not authorized or supported the project in any capacity. The representative said that since 2021, the filmmakers had been notified that they lack Joel's life rights and music rights, and called any attempt to proceed "legally and professionally misguided."

Producers hold exclusive life rights to Irwin Mazur and Jon Small. They assert the film is based on firsthand experiences and does not depend on Joel's music catalog.

Jon Small, who is consulting on the film and serving as a co-executive producer, stated the script is an authentic portrayal of Joel's early life.

Statements from Involved Parties

• Director John Ottman described the development work as shaping the film into a "deeply emotional and fun story" about Joel and Mazur.
• Producer Adam Ripp clarified that the film is not a traditional biopic but an "intimate origin story." He noted that because the film focuses on Joel's early band playing cover songs, describing the project as "legally and professionally misguided" misrepresents its nature.

Context and Comparisons

The film follows the 2025 HBO documentary And So It Goes. The situation has been compared to the 2020 film Stardust about David Bowie, which also lacked music rights and was described by producers as an "origins story" rather than a biopic. The film's portrayal of Elizabeth Weber, Joel's first wife who was previously married to Jon Small, has not been specified.