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When Hollywood isn’t making superhero movies they’re probably making a music biopic. Throughout the 21st century, there has been a plethora of biopics about the lives of music legends dead and alive. Hollywood continues to bet their money on music biopic projects which raises the question: do audiences actually want these type of films?

Historically, the Oscars have celebrated biopic portrayals. In 2019, Rami Malek won Best Actor for his role of Freddie Mercury in “Bohemian Rhapsody.” That next year, the Best Actress winner was Rene Zellweger for portrayal of Judy Garland.

Meanwhile, Austin Butler, as Elvis Presley, was a 2023 nominee; as well as Timothee Chalamet’s Bob Dylan in 2025. Despite the fact that both actors gained success in precursor award shows, the same did not happen at the Academy Awards. This began the music biopic decline.

Most recently, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” starring Jeremy Allen White struggled in theaters. Its opening domestic box office only reached $9.1 million dollars, placing it 4th in the box office. The film consisted of a big budget, and successful actor Jeremy Strong starred alongside White.

Considering the movie’s backbone, its results were lacking compared to fellow biopics. Despite the lack of positive audience reviews, it’s not impossible that the Springsteen film receives at least an Oscars nomination. After all, the acting category is known to love biopic performances whether they are successful or not.

Even with a declining popularity in music biopics, Hollywood is continuing to set their eyes on these types of productions. A line of Beatles biopics are set for 2028, and there will be a movie for each of the four band members. Audiences and critics have expressed concern about the sustainability in making a series of Beatles films. The Warner Music Group also reached a deal with Netflix for films based on the label’s artists. These musicians include legendary names like Fleetwood Mac, Prince, and Madonna.

One of the most difficult tasks that most biopics struggle with is capturing the entirety of a successful individual’s life in under three hours. Many of these films feature a cliche formula. Audiences first witness the artist’s difficult childhood. From their viewers follow a rise to fame mixed with toxic romances and the making of hit songs.

The biggest failure of these biopics is their inability to demonstrate originality in their production. However, this will not stop Hollywood from continuing to seek money out of music biopic projects.