The year 2026 promises to be full of twists and turns for fans of Johnny Hallyday, with the release of two biopics on the Taulier.
Firstly, Phénix, a feature film directed by Jalil Lespert which will star Belgian actor Matthias Schoenaerts in the role of the rocker. On the other hand, a project directed by Cédric Jimenez, in which Raphaël Quenard will have the honor of playing the artist.
Lætitia Hallyday charmed by Raphaël Quenard
It was by watching Yannick, by Quentin Dupieux, in which the 33-year-old actor slips into the skin of the “hero”, that Lætitia Hallyday chose to take the plunge.
« 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“, she recently confided in the columns of Paris Match. An opinion that the director clearly shares.
« It only took me half a second to say yes, because the image of Raphaël playing Johnny seemed obvious to me and because I felt capable of it.“, he explained.
The filmmaker also says he is proud to participate in a project of such scope: “ Telling rock through Johnny is an extraordinary, exceptional project, that of a lifetime. It’s a dream and an enormous responsibility to bring to the screen a character who ignited the crowds and mattered in the lives of four generations to the point of changing it for some. To give him full thanks, we will have to allow ourselves, like him, to free ourselves from conventions.« .
David Hallyday cash on upcoming biopics
If Lætitia Hallyday, Raphaël Quenard and Cédric Jimenez are excited about the idea of honoring the memory of Jean-Philippe Smet, what does David Hallyday, the singer’s eldest son, think? Well, against all expectations, the latter is not against it.
« I think it’s good as long as it’s done well“, he confided this Wednesday June 26, 2024 during an interview given to Ciné Télé Revue. « If I recognize my father, that’s fine, if we describe him in a different way, I would be less happy.«
« In my opinion, you can do anything in cinema, you can transform everyone. I have no idea about that. It’s difficult to talk about something I don’t have all the information about. We’ll see when it’s done“. To be continued…
