A new biopic based on legendary Irish singerSinéad O’Connoris now in development. O’Connor emerged in the late 1980s as a singular voice in music, blending raw emotional intensity with lyrical eloquence. Her 1987 debut,The Lion and the Cobra, brought her international acclaim, but it was 1990’sI Do Not Want What I Haven’t Gotthat cemented her legacy.
Selling over seven million copies, her second album featured the era-defining ballad"Nothing Compares 2 U,“which earned global recognition and topped year-end charts. Throughout the 1990s and beyond, O’Connor’s albums, such asAm I Not Your Girl?(1992) andUniversal Mother(1994) achieved UK gold status, while later works likeFaith and Courage(2000) andThrow Down Your Arms(2005) found success in Ireland.
Now, according toVariety,a Sinéad O’Connor biopic is in the worksfrom Irish production company ie: entertainment, known for producing the acclaimed 2022 documentaryNothing Compares, which was created in collaboration with O’Connor herself. The new biopic, developed in the wake of that documentary, will be directed by Josephine Decker (Shirley) with a screenplay by Irish writer Stacey Gregg.
O’Connor passed away in 2023 at the age of 56.
The film will focus on O’Connor’s early life and career, exploring how a young woman from Dublin captured global attention with her sheer musical talent, but also how her legacy became intertwined with her fearless activism, confronting abuses perpetrated by the Catholic Church and the Irish state.
Sinéad O’Connor is one of Ireland’s most iconic cultural figures, who was a pioneering voice for women worldwide. At just 23,O’Connor won a Grammy Awardfor her second album,I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, which featured the hit song, “Nothing Compares 2 U,” one of the best-selling singles of the year.
Throughout her career, O’Connor embraced the role of an activist and a self-described protest singer, using her fame to challenge sexism in the industry and expose corruption within the Catholic Church. In 1992, at age 25, she made headlines during aSaturday Night Liveperformancebytearing up a photograph of Pope John Paul II, an act that provoked intense public backlash.
In an era whenmusic biopicsare becoming increasingly common, Sinéad O’Connor should stand apart as one of the more interesting subjects to tackle. In addition to her music, she was a passionate activist who cared about issues and wasn’t afraid to speak up about them. However, the biopic should have a tinge of tragedy to it, asSinéad O’Connordied relatively young, at the age of 56.
