Bon Jovi is the subject of a feature film currently in development at Universal Pictures, which secured the project after a competitive bidding process.
The film will focus on the New Jersey rock band behind some of the most recognizable hits of the 1980s and 1990s, including Livin' on a Prayer, You Give Love a Bad Name, and It's My Life. The screenplay is being written by Cody Brotter, whose upcoming project includes the thriller Killing Satoshi, starring Pete Davidson and Casey Affleck.
Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi became one of the most commercially successful rock bands of the era. The group’s core lineup originally included singer Jon Bon Jovi, keyboardist David Bryan, guitarist Richie Sambora, bassist Alec John Such, and drummer Tico Torres.
Jon Bon Jovi, Bryan, and Torres remain members of the band today. Sambora departed in 2013, while Such left the group in 1994 and died in 2022.
Over four decades, Bon Jovi built a catalog of arena-rock hits and achieved global commercial success, selling tens of millions of albums worldwide. Their influence and longevity were recognized with inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Details about the film’s narrative structure have not yet been revealed. It is unclear whether the project will focus on a specific period in the band’s history or attempt a broader overview of its rise and career. Music biopics have taken both approaches in recent years, sometimes centering on a defining moment in an artist’s life and other times covering an entire career.
The project arrives during a period when music biographical films have become a prominent part of the studio release slate. Films such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Elvis, and Bob Marley: One Love achieved strong box office results and renewed interest in films centered on major recording artists.
At the same time, not every recent biographical project has performed as strongly. Films like Back to Black struggled to connect with audiences, underscoring the challenge of translating musical legacies to the screen.
Universal is also preparing to release Michael, a major biographical film about Michael Jackson, scheduled to open in April. Meanwhile, filmmaker Sam Mendes is developing a series of interconnected films about The Beatles at Sony.
Kevin J. Walsh and Gotham Chopra are producing through their production company, Religion of Sports, and studio executive Jaqueline Garrell is overseeing the project at Universal.
No director has been attached to the project, and casting has not yet been announced.
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