Celine Dion biopic in works

“The Power of Love”, a music-filled film about Canadian singer Celine Dion, is in works. French studio Gaumont’s film is slated for 2020 release. “The Power of Love” is the latest project to tell the story of a celebrity singer, following smash hit “Bohemian Rhapsody”, about the late Freddie Mercury, and upcoming “Rocket Man”, about Elton John”, reports variety.com. “The Power of Love” will boast some of Dion’s biggest hits such as “All by myself”, “My heart will go on” and “I’m alive”.

She and her record company authorized the project and gave rights to her songs. The film will be directed by Valerie Lemercier, who will also star as Dion. “The Power of Love” chronicles Dion’s life from her birth, her modest upbringing in Quebec in the 1960s to her extraordinary rise to fame as a teenager, and also her relationships with her manager and husband Rene Angelil and her family.

Gaumont’s Cecile Gaget said the film would be “in the vein of ‘Rocket Man’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ but unlike those movies which were produced and released by studios, ‘The Power of Love’ is a potential box office hit accessible to independent distributors”. Gaumont, which is co-producing and will represent the film in international markets, will handle the French release in 2, 2020.

“The Power of Love” will be shot mainly in French and is set to start lensing in March for 18 weeks in France, Spain, Canada and Las Vegas. Lemercier, who has directed several successful films including “Palais Royal!” and “50 Is the New 30”, said she was inspired by Dion’s strength and determination. The actress-turned-director said she was touched by Dion’s grief following the death of her husband and started reading and watching everything about the singer, Angelil, and Dion’s mother, Therese.