"“Billy Joel has not authorized or supported this project in any capacity, and any attempt to move forward without it would be both legally and professionally misguided,” they added."
"“I first met Billy when he was 16 years old, and after reading the script, I felt the filmmakers truly understood who he was before the world knew his name.... As someone who was there from the very beginning, I can say this script captures not just the music, but the friendships, struggles, humor, and creative spark that defined those years.”"
"“Billy and Me focuses on the period surrounding Billy Joel and the Hassles, and features the cover songs performed by them during that era. As such, characterizing Billy and Me as 'legally and professionally misguided' does not accurately reflect the nature of the project nor the legally obtained rights underlying the production. The film is based on Irwin Mazur and Jon Small's firsthand experiences and Irwin's legitimate right to tell his own life story and perspective regarding the events depicted in the film.”"
A new film, Billy and Me, dramatizes Billy Joel’s life in the years before Piano Man. The story is told through the perspective of Joel’s first manager, Irwin Mazur, whose life rights form much of the screenplay. The project is directed by John Ottman. Joel’s representative says Joel has not authorized or supported the film and warns that moving forward without authorization would be legally and professionally misguided. Casting is underway with Jon Small, Joel’s former drummer and longtime friend, involved as consultant, co-executive producer, and second unit director. The scriptwriter and producer Adam Ripp says the film is based on firsthand experiences and legally obtained rights tied to Mazur and Small.
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