Universal Pictures is starting to pluck away at a Bon Jovi biopic that will explore the early days of the band behind songs such as “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive”.
Deadline reports the studio officially hit the road in its pursuit to help bring the movie to life after winning a bidding war. The site says the film will chart the New Jersey rock outfit’s “formative years” as frontman and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame legend Jon Bon Jovi (real name John Bongiovi) helped establish it throughout the 1980s.
Cody Brother, who has scripted Drudge and Killing Satoshi, will write the script for the Bon Jovi movie. Kevin J. Walsh (Manchester by the Sea, Napoleon) and Gotham Chopra (Thank You, Goodnight: Bon Jovi Story) will produce. Variety reports that Universal director of production Jacqueline Garell will oversee the biopic for the studio.
Participation from Jon Bon Jovi himself is said to have been included in Universal’s deal, as is access to the Bon Jovi library. Additional information such as the cast and a release date have yet to be announced.
Bon Jovi first truly hit the music scene with its self-titled debut record, which had instant classics like “Runaway” and “Shot Through the Heart”, in 1984. It followed up with 7800 Fahrenheit and singles like “In and Out of Love” in 1985 before Slippery When Wet introduced the world to “Livin’ on a Prayer”, “You Give Love a Bad Name”, “Wanted Dead or Alive”, and more in 1986.
The band is still active today, with its most recent album, Forever, released in 2024.
While we wait for Universal to put its Bon Jovi movie together, you can read about a set of upcoming biopics focused on the four members of The Beatles. You can also check out what we thought about other recent music biopics like Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Elvis, and A Complete Unknown.
Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
