Jeff Buckley biopic will do justice to late singer, says star

Olivia Thirlby has promised that the Jeff Buckley biopic will be an “artistic film that does justice” to the late singer.

American singer/actor Reeve Carney will play Buckley in the upcoming film, which has been titled Mystery White Boy after a posthumous Buckley live album released in 2000. The film is being helmed by Ridley Scott’s son, Jake.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Thirlby declined to reveal exact details of her role in the film, but admitted that she depicts a fictional character. “I’m playing someone who’s based on a real person that was in his life,” she explained.

Thirlby also suggested that Mystery White Boy will not follow the structure of a typical biopic. She added: “I would hate to call it straightforward, but it will be an artistic film that does justice hopefully to a true artist – someone who truly gave something to the world. I think that the goal for it is to be able to somewhat match the artistry of the music itself, hopefully.”

Buckley died in 1997 at the age of 30 after accidentally drowning in the Mississippi River. He had released just one studio album, 1994’s classic Grace, but his legend has continued to build with the release of several posthumous compilations and the enduring popularity of his cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”.

Thirlby, 25, is best known for her roles in Juno, No Strings Attached and The Darkest Hour. She will next be seen alongside Karl Urban in upcoming sci-fi reboot Dredd, which opens on September 7 in the UK and September 21 in the US.

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