Lizzo to Play Rock & Roll Pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe in New Biopic

Lizzo has been tapped to play trailblazing musician Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the upcoming biopic “Rosetta” from Amazon MGM Studios.

From writers Natalie Chaidez (“The Flight Attendant”) and Kwynn Perry (“Tigerbelles”), “Rosetta” will tell the story of how Tharpe became known as the godmother of Rock & Roll, influencing the likes of Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Johnny Cash and countless other musicians. 

Lizzo will also produce the biopic alongside Kevin Beisler and Significant Productions’ Nina Yang Bongiovi and Forest Whitaker.

An early description of the project, which is currently in development, explains that that film “captures a pivotal period in her life — one of groundbreaking innovation, defiant passion, and secret love. As she shatters musical boundaries with her signature guitar sound, Rosetta must navigate societal constraints, conceal her love for another woman, and ultimately transform a wedding into one of the most legendary concerts in history — the first stadium show.”

“Rosetta” won’t be the first time that Tharpe will be portrayed on film: British musician Yola played her in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic “Elvis,” which starred Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. 

While Tharpe died in 1973, her songs still frequently appear in films and shows, including, most recently, “A League of Their Own,” “Atlanta,” “Death on the Nile,” “I Know This Much Is True” and “Elvis & Nixon.”

News of the movie comes as Lizzo returns to music with the new singles “Still Bad” and “Love in Real Life,” the latter of which is the title of her upcoming fifth studio album due later this year.

The four-time Grammy winner is best known for her Hot 100 #1 hits, “Truth Hurts” and the Grammy Record of the Year-winning “About Damn Time.” 

The multi-hyphenate talent headlined the HBO special “Lizzo: Live In Concert” and was the focus of the Max documentary “Love, Lizzo,” she appeared opposite Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez in the 2019 crime dramedy “Hustlers.”

In 2022, Lizzo won an Emmy for producing and starring in the reality TV show “Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls” for Amazon MGM Studios.