The biopic is one of the most fundamental movie genres. Everyone loves a movie based on a true story; everyone loves to see the lives of real people dramatised on the silver screen. Even folks who complain the most that biopics aren't thorough enough, or are too thorough, line up to watch them.
Producers have been making biopics for over 100 years — search "what was the first biopic" and you'll see multiple results about Joan of Arc movies in 1895 (by Thomas Edison's director Alfred Clark) and 1900 (by Georges Méliès, better known for his early fantasy and sci-fi epics). And while we're talking about Joan, THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, from 1928, is still one of the greatest movies ever made.
As long as there are movies there will be movie biographies. They always have the power to surprise. No one expected a three-hour movie about Robert Oppenheimer to be a box office juggernaut, even with director Christopher Nolan behind the camera. And yet it was. We can't wait to be surprised again.
Here are the new biopic movies playing in movie theaters now and coming in 2025.
Biopic Movies Now Playing in Theaters
A Complete Unknown
Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan (Timothée Chalamet) as he experiences a meteoric rise as a folk singer. Dominating both concert halls and the top of the charts, his songs become worldwide sensations, with his wave of popularity culminating in a groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. [Now Playing]
Better Man
You might not know much about UK pop star Robbie Williams, but that really doesn't matter. BETTER MAN is the story of his meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence. And it's all presented with Williams looking like a chimpanzee. It's utterly crazy, and it works. [Now Playing]
More Biopic Movies Coming to Theaters in 2025
The Alto Knights
With most biopics, the primary appeal is the subject. For THE ALTO KNIGHTS, it's a little different. Here, the legend Robert De Niro plays dual roles, as real-life mob figures who started out as friends, and ended up… well, not friendly at all. Barry Levinson directs the story of two of New York’s most notorious organized crime bosses, Frank Costello (De Niro) and Vito Genovese (De Niro), as they vie for control of the city’s streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that will reshape the Mafia (and America) forever. [March 21]
Michael
A movie chronicling the life and career of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, has been decades in coming. Part of the problem is one all movies of this kind face: Who to cast? In the case of Michael Jackson, who is still one of the most distinctive and uniquely recognizable musical icons in the world, it's an even bigger problem. Appropriately, the solution was a Jackson family member. Michael's nephew Jaafar Jackson plays the title role in MICHAEL, which is directed by Antoine Fuqua. [October 3]
Marty Supreme
It's beyond rare that a list of movies like this one would feature two films starring the same actor. But Timothée Chalamet leads the first solo directorial effort from Josh Safdie, who is one half of the sibling filmmaking team behind UNCUT GEMS and GOOD TIME. The movie is about, or at least inspired by, table tennis player Marty Reisman. He hustled table tennis matches in New York in the early 1940s and ultimately won more than 20 titles in the sport, the last in 2002. The movie has been said to be "a fictionalized original, rather than a biopic," but we're including it here anyway. [December 25]
Deliver Me From Nowhere
The subject here is The Boss himself: Bruce Springsteen. But DELIVER ME FROM NOWHERE is not a broad account of Springsteen's early days and his decades-spanning career. Instead, as the title — a lyric from the song "State Trooper" — suggests, it looks at the creation of Springsteen's sixth album, "Nebraska," which he recorded alone, at home. The movie captures the singer, played by Jeremy Allen White of "The Bear," at a pivotal moment when his first experiences with fame caused him to question his purpose as an artist. [Release Date TBD]
THE ALTO KNIGHTS is set to open on March 21.
All images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.