7 Musical Biopics I Would Run Out To See In A Heartbeat If They Were Ever Made, But Will Likely Never Exist

Bob Dylan, Elton John, Johnny Cash. Yeah, those musical biopics make sense. They’re all household names, and you’d expect mainstream artists to have movies made about their lives at one point or another.

In fact, I’m kind of shocked that we’re just getting a Bruce Springsteen movie, which is in a string of upcoming musical biopics. I mean, of all musicians, you’d think “The Boss” would have had a major movie by now, but I digress. There are some musicians – like Michael Jackson – who are just destined for a biopic.

And then, there are others who should have one, but likely never will, and here are just seven such examples.

Insane Clown Posse

When people say “rappers from Detroit,” the first person who likely comes to people’s minds is Eminem (especially whenever they hear “Lose Yourself” on the radio). However, if you’re a certain kind of rap fan, then your rappers of choice are probably the Insane Clown Posse.

I think a biopic of the group would be a good one. We could see Violent J’s and Shaggy 2 Dope’s inspiration for why they started putting on the makeup, and how they went from being the JJ Boyz to the Insane Clown Posse that millions of Juggalos love today.

We could also see their other ventures, like how they got into backyard wrestling, beefed with Eminem, and even got embroiled with the FBI. I mean, there’s a lot to get into with ICP, and even though there was a good documentary called The United States of Insanity, I want an actual biopic.

They definitely deserve one, but I don’t foresee one happening, because a lot of people know the group, but I don’t know if the interest is there for a biopic. Oh, well. Pour some Faygo out for this one.

Wesley Willis singing about Alanis Morissette

(Image credit: Alternative Tentacles)

Wesley Willis

If you know who Wesley Willis is, then we can be friends. The late, Chicago-based musician is probably most known for singing about McDonald’s, or how he, and not Bane, was the one who “wupped Batman’s ass.”

However, the story of Willis is actually a depressing one. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, he often described his mental illness as a “hellride” and would even make songs about it, detailing the profanity he would hear from the voices in his head.

So, obviously, this is a story that deserves to be told, kind of like the excellent Brian Wilson biopic, Love & Mercy. The movie could get into his work with the punk band, The Wesley Willis Fiasco, his solo work, and how he dealt with his schizophrenia.

I think a Willis biopic would be something really special, but it probably won’t happen since you likely just learned about who he is right this instant, and there isn’t really an audience for a movie.

MF DOOM seeing himself in a mirror in the video for "I Hear Voices"

(Image credit: Stones Throw)

MF DOOM

When my favorite rapper, MF DOOM, died, I was really upset. I even wrote about his best collaborations in TV and music, of which there were quite a few. In every way, we lost DOOM way too soon.

That said, like Willis, there’s a really depressing backstory here. A movie could cover when he first started in KMD as Zev Love X with his brother, Subroc. It could then show how Subroc’s death changed him, as he disappeared for some years, and then returned wearing a mask.

I want that story. The great thing about DOOM was that when he was alive, he was always shrouded in mystery. It would be great to see a meditative movie that actually got into the man behind the mask, and what that person was like.

Out of all of the musicians on this list, I think this would be the most likely to happen, but I won’t hold my breath. Even in death, he’s still pretty obscure.

Dave Brockie wearing a mask for the song "Sick of You"

(Image credit: Metal Blade Records)

Gwar

If you know Gwar, then it’s likely because you played the Beavis and Butt-Head video games in the ‘90s, as the objective of those games was to go to a Gwar concert. Either that, or you used to watch Headbangers Ball.

Well, like ICP, there’s a great documentary about the band titled This is GWAR, but I don’t want a documentary. I want a biopic! And, here’s the thing. I actually wouldn’t want one about the entire history of the band. I want one about them after Dave Brockie’s death, as the band was never quite the same.

That said, the group has soldiered on. They’ve shifted members, and created new characters to keep themselves relevant. In fact, I’d love it if the biopic was unique, sort of like the “Weird” Al Yankovic one, and that it really played up the members being interplanetary warriors, a.k.a., Scumdogs of the Universe, which is their gimmick.

Gwar is not KISS (which is getting a biopic), though, as they’re nowhere near as popular. Oh, well.

Lil Peep rapping in his video "Gym Class"

(Image credit: Columbia Records)

Lil Peep

Another tragic story, Lil Peep died way too soon (only three months after the release of his debut studio album, Come Over When You’re Sober, Pt. 1). However, like Juice WRLD, people are still talking about Lil Peep, so the legend lives on.

A biopic for Peep could be interesting because it could be about him, but also the rise of the SoundCloud rap scene in general. In that way, his biopic could be like The Social Network in that it perfectly encapsulates a specific time period.

That said, I would love to see how Peep got into the collective GothBoiClique, and how his career looked to be really taking off before his unfortunate demise.

There’s a great documentary called Everybody’s Everything, but like everybody on this list, I don’t think he’ll get the biopic treatment because again, he wasn’t popular enough.

Peter Gabriel singing "Watcher of the Skies" for the band, Genesis

(Image credit: The Midnight Special)

Genesis

Now, wait a minute. Genesis? You mean the Phil Collins group from the ‘80s? Yes…and no. Because while Genesis had most of their success in the ‘80s, that’s not the Genesis biopic that I want.

No, I actually want to see when Peter Gabriel fronted the group, and then his departure from the band. I would love it if the focal point of the movie would be The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway album, which was Gabriel’s last with them, and then A Trick of the Tail, in which Phil Collins took over.