Johnny Hallyday biopic: “The project is far from being at a standstill, quite the contrary”

Despite the departure of Raphaël Quenard, filming would be scheduled for early June, according to our information.

“We will obviously work to get closer to Johnny. Afterwards, it remains a biopic: Raphaël (Quenard) will play the character. He will also work a lot, a lot, a lot. He still has nine months of intensive full-time preparation awaiting him.”assured us last September Cédric Jimenez, director of the Johnny Hallyday biopic. Finally, we learned last week that Quenard was suddenly leaving the project, as the actor briefly explained in a story on Instagram: “ It is with regret that I inform you today that I will not play Johnny in his biopic. Film production requirements Mystikwhich I co-direct, as well as promoting the American dream which comes out on February 18, do not allow me, within the allotted time, to devote myself fully to the preparation required for such a role. I wish the best to the entire team of this film and more generally a long life for this project. »

A massive blow for the production, especially since Raphaël Quenard had been validated by Johnny’s widow, Læticia Hallyda, who had discovered him in Yannick by Quentin Dupieux. “ The project, the desire… It all starts from there, from him », she detailed has Paris Match in June 2024. “ I was amazed by his acting, his looks, his way of occupying space, of speaking, his spontaneity, his almost animal charisma… I said to myself that if any actor could play Johnny in the cinema, it was him. »And if it’s not him anymore, what does that mean for this biopic? Should we conclude that the matter is at a standstill and that the feature film will never see the light of day?

Not at all, a source close to the film assures us: “ The project is far from being at a standstill, quite the contrary. » The filming would thus always be planned for “ early June and everything is going well “.

Information to put into perspective with that of the Parisianwho believes he knows that Benjamin Voisin (The Stranger, Lost Ilusions, Summer 85) would take over the role left vacant by Quenard. In this case he would have a few months left to prepare to slip into Johnny’s shoes.

As a reminder, Cédric Jimenez explained to us in September that this biopic will be “ chronological » but will not necessarily detail the singer’s entire life. “ We also want to tell the story of the arrival of rock in France, a time when youth were uninhibited and not worried about the future. It’s about giving hope, showing these people who wanted to live to the fullest and who saw the future as something very beautiful. This biopic of Johnny will be a positive film because he was a positive character and one whom the public loved deeply. »

According to the latest news, Johnny was scheduled for December 8, 2027 in theaters.