Amy Winehouse film causes discord

AMERICAN company buys the rights to a film about Amy Winehouse despite her father saying her life story would never be turned into a movie.

Amy Winehouse's father, Mitch, vowed last year that the singer’s life story would never be turned into a film. Now, however, his determination will be tested by the daughter of Jim Sheridan, the Academy Award-nominated director of My Left Foot and The Field, who has written a screenplay.

Kirsten Sheridan has already sold the rights to the film to an American company, Lifetime. “I tried to make it as much about humanity and dignity, in a story that has been dragged through the media,” says Kirsten, 36, who was nominated for an Oscar for co-writing the semi-autobiographical film In America. “That was, kind of, my goal. We haven’t started casting yet.”

Winehouse died of alcohol abuse last year at the age of 27. Her father said: “It would hardly be a biopic without the music and we’d never allow the songs to be released.”