Industry

John Ottman to Direct Billy Joel Biopic

John Ottman is directing "Billy & Me," a feature film about Billy Joel's early years, focusing on his life before "Piano Man" and mainstream success.

Variety Music·May 19, 2026·via Variety Music

- Home - Film - News

May 19, 2026 9:23am PT

Billy Joel Biopic ‘Billy and Me’ in the Works From Director John Ottman (EXCLUSIVE)

By Jazz Tangcay

Plus Icon

Jazz Tangcay

Artisans Editor

@jazzt

Latest

- First 10 Minutes of ‘Mandalorian and Grogu’ Now Available on Fortnite 3 hours ago

- ‘Run Amok’ and Stanley Tucci’s ‘Big Night’ Among New Jersey’s Lighthouse Film Festival’s Line-Up – Film News in Brief 19 hours ago

- ‘Greyhound’ DP Shelly Johnson Elected President of American Society of Cinematographers 20 hours ago

See All

- - - - - -

- - - - - - -

Editor and director John Ottman is set to direct “Billy & Me”, a feature film chronicling the formative years of Billy Joel.

“Billy & Me” tells the origin story of Joel before fame, before the hits — and, significantly, before “Piano Man,” the 1973 song and album that lofted him to stardom. The film is told through the eyes of Joel’s first manager, Irwin Mazur, who discovered the singer in 1966, signed him in 1970 and oversaw his career up to his breakthrough deal with Columbia Records in 1972.