Barry Jenkins to direct Ronnie Spector biopic ‘Be My Baby’ starring Zendaya
The film will be adapted from the Ronettes singer's 1990 memoir and highlight her abusive marriage to Phil Spector
By Andre Gee
A24 has tapped Oscar-winning director Barry Jenkins to direct Be My Baby, the Zendaya-starring biopic of singer Ronnie Spector. The film has been in development since 2020, with Spector originally onboard as an executive producer before her death in 2022. Spector personally selected Zendaya to portray her in the film, which is adapted from Spector’s 1990 memoir Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness, or, My Life as a Fabulous Ronette, written with Vince Waldron. In 2022, Rosie Perez narrated the memoir’s audiobook.
According to Deadline who first reported the news, Zendaya and Jenkins have agreed to focus the biopic on the Ronettes singer’s six-year marriage to controversial producer Phil Spector; the memoir chronicles Spector as a survivor of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her husband.
In the memoir, Ronnie recounts Phil having a coffin in the basement of his home, and threatening to kill her if he ever left her. In 1972, she escaped his mansion barefoot. In 2021, Phil Spector died at age 81 at a California state prison hospital, where he was serving a 19-years-to-life sentence for murder. Upon his death, Spector recalled on Instagram, “he was a brilliant producer, but a lousy husband. Unfortunately Phil was not able to live and function outside of the recording studio. Darkness set in, many lives were damaged.”
Dave Kajganich will craft the original screenplay for Be My Baby, with Zendaya joining Marc Platt, Adam Siegel, Mark Itkin, Tom Shelly, Adele Romanski, and Mark Ceryak. Jonathan Greenfield will serve as executive producer.