The Rise of the Biopic
Is Hollywood paying its respects to famous figures or copping out on creativity? Biopics have saturated Hollywood and everyone wants a piece of them— actors, studios and fans alike. Courtesy of Raph_PH via Flickr
Elvis. Priscilla. Springsteen. Christy. Michael. Oppenheimer. (King) Richard. While this may just seem like a compiled list of universally recognizable first and last names, it’s actually the titles of recently released or slated celebrity biopics.
Hollywood has pivoted. Instead of making original and creatively conceptualized films, studios make biopics with some of the most well-known young actors money can buy. The dramatizations of the lives of public or historical figures appear to be the safest money-maker Hollywood studios have seen in years, but the numbers remain unpredictable.
Year after year, movie theater attendance drops. First-quarter revenue of 2025 was down by 11 percent compared to the previous year, according to the Los Angeles Times. Variety reported that ticket sales plunged 23.5 percent in 2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels and that North America has dimmed the lights on 5,691 screens since Covid-19.
Austin Butler’s 2022 interpretation of “Elvis,” however, grossed $288.7 million worldwide. While it had a more modest opening compared to other blockbusters that year, it was considered a success because it brought women over 45 back to the theater—a demographic thought to be lost to the pandemic—who scored the movie at 90 percent on average.
“The Bear” star Jeremy Allen White’s recent production, “Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere,” released in October, came with a built-in audience that was thought to provide a sense of security at the box office. The film has only grossed about $40 million to date, however.
Meanwhile, “Bob Marley: One Love” earned $181 million, and the Bob Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown” posted over $140 million. Hollywood’s most recent lightning rod, Sydney Sweeney, starred in “Christy,” which made $1.3 million on its opening weekend, marking it one of the worst openings in over 20 years.
Despite the inconsistency of a biopic’s financial return, studios continue to churn them out. They cost significantly less to make than superhero or other heavy special effects films. They also have high potential to win coveted awards due to the notoriety of the celebrities they’re about and they attract top actors looking to diversify their roles.
Studios cling to historical figures in an effort to score steady singles. When they’re ready for a home run, they turn to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The films come with a niche audience, even if it's small. “Inspiring true stories” are easier to market than completely original concepts. Depicting someone’s rise to the top, career hurdles and internal struggles is poised to be interesting, so all studios have to do is choose a figure people are bound to care about.
Zoom out, however, and viewers will notice a clear trend in movies made today.
“Regretting You” is based on Colleen Hoover’s viral novel. “Freakier Friday” (2025) is a sequel to a 2003 Disney favorite. “Conclave,” based on the 2016 novel, took home Best Screenplay at the 2025 Oscars. All of the top-grossing movies of 2022 (“Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jurassic World: Dominion” and “Minions: The Rise of Gru”) are sequels.
While the untrained eye may appreciate the nostalgia of studios revisiting their favorite franchises and characters, it is worth pondering if the well has run dry for fresh scripts.
Moviegoers of all age demographics remain drawn to biopics. The feeling of living through a celebrity’s glory days via Hollywood’s latest hot actor is enough to keep viewers interested.
Biopics are a low-lift way for people to learn more about culture, music, history and society. After watching one, individuals often feel well-versed on the subject matter and able to contribute to the discourse surrounding the figures.
Biopics scratch an itch people have that arises from wanting to know more, but not badly enough to seek out the story themselves. Studios recognize this and do their best to capitalize. They’re clinging to pre-existing stories, and viewers are lapping it up just enough to keep the biopics coming.