Lizzo is ready to rock and roll.
The “About Damn Time” singer is set to star as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in a biopic from Amazon MGM Studios about the legendary Godmother of Rock and Roll, Deadline reports.
Lizzo, 36, will also serve as a producer alongside Forest Whitaker, Nina Yang Bongiovi of Significant Productions, and Kevin Beisler. Natalie Chaidez and Kwynn Perry will serve as screenwriters.
The Grammy-winning artist took to Instagram to share her excitement, posting a photo of Deadline’s coverage with the caption, “Black people made rock ’n’ roll, yeaaaah.”
She also shared the news on her Instagram Story, writing, “It’s finally out, y’all! I’m so excited and honored.”
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In a separate Instagram Story posted Tuesday (March 25), Lizzo made it clear that there were no auditions for Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
“Because this is a film I’ve been producing for years, fighting for her story to get told…I’ve been honoring her in my music videos & performances…pitching her movie to people who’ve never heard of her…studying her life and reading every book that exists about her. she wrote.
“This is my baby, my passion – because Rosetta dserves. The Godmother of Rock n Roll is in good hands, y’all. Stay tuned.”
Rosetta Tharpe was a gospel singer who rose to stardom in the 1930s and 1940s by mixing spiritual lyrics with electric guitar. Her groundbreaking sound earned her the nickname the “Godmother of Rock and Roll.”
According to Variety, the film will reportedly center around “a pivotal period” in Tharpe’s life, which various publications described it as “one of groundbreaking innovation, defiant passion, and secret love.”
“As she shatters musical boundaries with her signature guitar sound, Rosetta must navigate societal constraints, conceal her love for another woman, and ultimately transform a wedding into one of the most legendary concerts in history–the first stadium show,” per the film’s description.
But Rosetta won’t be the first time Tharpe has been portrayed on film. British musician Yola played her in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic “Elvis,” which starred Austin Butler and Tom Hanks.
For Lizzo, however, the biopic marks her first leading role in a feature film.
She previously appeared in 2019’s Hustlers alongside Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, playing a stripper named Liz in the Lorene Scafaria-directed crime comedy about a crew of New York City strippers who steal money by drugging Wall Street executives.
In 2022, Lizzo won an Emmy for producing and starring in the reality TV series Lizzo’s Watch Out for the Big Grrrls for Amazon MGM Studios.
She also made a guest appearance in the season 34 finale of The Simpsons (titled Homer’s Adventures Through the Windshield Glass), as herself and as a flute-playing doll named Goobie Woo, twerking with Homer and jamming with Lisa on her saxophone.
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