21st century music biopics from Elvis and Elton to Johnny Cash and Joan Jett: The highs and lows

Freddie Mercury did it. Elton John did it. Elvis, too.

Now, can Bruce Springsteen score a hit with a rock biopic?

One of this month’s buzziest releases is "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere," starring Jeremy Allen White (FX’s "The Bear") as The Boss. Written and directed by Scott Cooper ("Crazy Heart"), the film focuses narrowly on the singer’s determination to release 1982’s "Nebraska," a brooding, soul-baring, willfully uncommercial disc that might have killed a lesser artist’s career. Trailers promise a spot on performance by White, supported by Jeremy Strong as Springsteen’s manager, Jon Landau, yet it’s expected to open with a modest $15-$25 million according to BoxOfficePro. "Springsteen" is due in theaters Oct. 24.

As a genre, music biopics are rarely Marvel-level blockbusters. And the subject’s fame or popularity doesn’t guarantee a hit. "Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody," about one of pop’s most beloved singers, failed to excite audiences in 2022. Yet that same year, the Elvis Presley biopic "Elvis" — about a long-dead singer from a bygone era — earned an eye-popping $288 million worldwide.

Here's a look at the highs and lows of the genre over the past 20 years:

WALK THE LINE (2005) Starring Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and an Oscar-winning Reese Witherspoon as June Carter Cash, this film from director James Mangold has become both a gold standard and a cliché: rich with rock history, filled with personal tribulations and filmed in a glossy Hollywood style.

CONTROL (2007) Fashion photographer Anton Corbijn made his feature directing debut with the story of Ian Curtis (Sam Riley), the doomed singer for post-punk icons Joy Division. Visually and thematically bleak, the film earned scant box-office ($872,000 domestic) but much critical acclaim.

THE RUNAWAYS (2010)

Kristen Stewart played Long Island’s Joan Jett, guitarist for an all-girl protopunk band, in a movie that’s as raw and sloppy as The Runaways themselves. Written and directed by Floria Sigismondi, the film is uneven but gets high marks for energy. Michael Shannon is terrific as Kim Fowley, the band’s shrewd, weird manager.

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON (2015)

Rap music changes so fast that N.W.A. — formed in 1987 — should have felt like ancient history when this film came out. Instead, director F. Gary Gray showed that the group’s songs about white cops and Black rage are as relevant as ever. The film was a surprise smash that pulled in $201 million.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (2018) Reactions to Bryan Singer’s biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury (Rami Malek) were varied: Critics panned it as formulaic, American audiences embraced it and overseas it became a sensation. It’s the top-grossing rock biopic by far, with $910 million worldwide. Malek won an Oscar, one of four for the film.

ROCKETMAN (2019) Taron Egerton plays Elton John in a biopic that blends realism and musical fantasy. (The singer literally floats during his U.S. concert debut.) Audiences spent an impressive $195 million on tickets, a testament to John’s enduring brand. It’s directed by Dexter Fletcher, who had completed "Bohemian Rhapsody" after Singer was fired partway through production.

ELVIS (2022) Rock’s gaudiest icon seems the perfect subject for over-the-top director Baz Luhrmann ("Moulin Rouge!"). Newcomer Austin Butler threw himself into the title role so fully that he reportedly trained to lose Presley’s accent after filming. Tom Hanks as manager Col. Tom Parker struck an off note, but the movie became a hit and earned eight Oscar nominations.

A COMPLETE UNKNOWN (2024)

Early reports that Timothée Chalamet would play Bob Dylan under director Mangold ("Walk the Line") seemed to position this biopic as both a guaranteed hit and an Oscar gimme. That only sort of happened: The film impressed critics, performed admirably ($140 million) and earned eight Oscar nods but won none.