5 Upcoming Biopics You Forgot Were Coming Out

Music fans and cinema buffs alike love a biographical, or biopic, as it is most commonly used. Among the most anticipated movie releases of the year are the highly anticipated biopics of many of our favorite celebrities. The genre has a seamless blend of storytelling and reality to bring the life of an icon to the big screen.

Many of the biopics this movie season are ones that have been in development for several years. Many biopics include the cooperation of the subjects families or even the celebrity themself to ensure that their story is being told correctly and tastefully.

As we head into the new year and closer to award season, here are a few biopics about Black celebrities you either didn’t know or forgot were in development that you can look forward to seeing on the big screen.

Boyz II Men

The iconic R&B group Boyz II Men is having their 30-year career developed for the big screen. The four-time Grammy-winning group, who spawned hits like “End of the Road”, “On Bended Knee,” and several others, has partnered with production and financing companies Compelling Pictures and Primary Wave to develop the feature film.

Boyz II Men members Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris are exective producers for the film. The group is also producing a long-form documentary project about the group’s rise to stardom in the 1990s and 2000s as well as their continued success today.

Ronnie Spector

Ronnie Spector, lead singer of the 1960s group “The Ronettes,” who gave us the hit “Be My Baby,” will have her life of rock and roll in theatres. Before her death in 2022, she handpicked Emmy-award-winning actress Zendaya Coleman to play her in her upcoming biopic.

The biopic will be an A24 adaptation of Spector’s autobiography, “Be My Baby,” with Barry Jenkins to direct the project. The film will focus on how the Ronettes were formed and signed to Philles Records, and will also cover Ronnie’s battle to win the rights back to her music.

Nat King Cole

Legendary jazz musician who broke boundaries in radio, television and film is getting a movie adaptation of his life directed by a renowned star who has been making waves in Hollywood.

Colman Domingo is directing and starring in a movie musical of the jazz singer. This will be Domingo’s feature directing debut with this project.

“I’ve been working on it quietly for a few years,” he told Variety Awards Circuit during a podcast episode. “It’s something I’m looking forward to putting together with some great partners.”

Cole was one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, beginning his career in the late 1930s and most notably known for songs like “Unforgettable,” “Let There Be Love,” and “The Christmas Song.” He was given a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award with the Grammys in 1990 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000.

Snoop Dogg

Outer Banks star Jonathan Daviss is set to star as hip-hop mogul Snoop Dogg in an upcoming biopic with Universal Pictures.

The film will take a look at Calvin Braodus Jr., aka Snoop Dogg’s life as a West Coast hip-hop star, working with Death Row Records, Dr. Dre and him becoming the influential star he has become today.

The movie is being directed by Craig Brewer, responsible for Hustle and Flow and Dolemite Is My Name.

Daviss received the iconic rapper’s approval via social media when the news of the biopic was announced back in June.

The as-yet-untitled film is the first project under Death Row Pictures’ overall deal with NBCUniversal Entertainment & Studios as the hip-hop music label crosses over into film.

Michael Jackson

Probably one of the most anticipated biopics, the story of the legendary King of Pop, Michael, is set to hit the big screen on April 24, 2026.

The movie, pushed from its original release of October 2025, is being directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by John Logan.

Jaafar Jackson, the late star’s nephew, will be starring as the entertainer.

The movie is expected to have a star-studded cast, including Nia Long and Colman Domingo as the superstars’ parents, Katherine and Joe Jackson. Larenz Tate has also been plucked to play iconic Motown Records founder Barry Gordy and Kat Graham to play as legendary pop diva Diana Ross.

You can find a full list of the announced movie cast here.