Amanda Seyfried’s Shelved Joni Mitchell Biopic and the Rise of a New Mitchell Film

A film centered on singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell and her longtime manager Elliot Roberts was in development before Roberts’ death in 2019. Oscar-nominated actress Amanda Seyfried was attached to portray Mitchell. The project stalled after Roberts passed away and after a separate Mitchell biopic, helmed by Cameron Crowe, entered production.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, Seyfried learned to perform the entire 1971 album Blue on dulcimer, piano and guitar, adding other Mitchell classics such as “Both Sides Now” and “The Circle Game.” She met Mitchell at the singer’s Los Angeles home, shared a steak dinner, and listened to Blue while the artist described the record as “sparse.”

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• Amanda Seyfried – actress originally cast as Mitchell.

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• Joni Mitchell – Canadian folk legend and subject of the biopic.

Amanda Seyfried Reveals Viral Dulcimer Performance Stemmed From A Shelved Joni Mitchell Movie

• Elliot Roberts – Mitchell’s manager, whose death preceded the film’s cancellation.

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• Cameron Crowe – director of a later, separate Mitchell biopic.

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• Anya Taylor-Joy – reported to play a young Mitchell in Crowe’s version.

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• Meryl Streep – reported to portray an older Mitchell.

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• Jimmy Fallon – host of *The Tonight Show* where Seyfried’s viral dulcimer performance aired.

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• 2019 – Elliot Roberts dies.

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• 2020-2021 – Seyfried studies and rehearses the full Blue album.

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• March 2025 – Her dulcimer cover of “California” goes viral on *The Tonight Show*.

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• 2025-2026 – Reports emerge of Cameron Crowe’s Mitchell biopic starring Taylor-Joy and Streep.

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• 2026 – Seyfried states she is “aged-out” of playing a young Joni and that the viral performance was not an audition.

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Seyfried clarified that her *Tonight Show* appearance was not an audition for Crowe’s film and that she feels too old to portray a teenage Mitchell. She confirmed meeting Elliot Roberts before his death and expressed limited knowledge of Crowe’s response to public criticism of his project.

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• “It was a movie about her and [manager] Elliot Roberts,” — Amanda Seyfried, British GQ interview

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• “ Recommended The star went on to learn the whole album in lockdown, sharing: “The day that I finished learning the last song on the album, ‘[The Last Time I Saw] Richard’, I fucking wept.” — Amanda Seyfried, British GQ interview

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• “It was not an audition,” — Amanda Seyfried, Variety interview

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• “Apparently a lot of people reached out to Cameron Crowe and were like, ‘What the fuck are you doing, dude?’” — Amanda Seyfried, British GQ interview

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Sources differ on why the original biopic collapsed: some attribute it to Roberts’ death, others cite competition from Crowe’s separate project. No official casting confirmation exists for Crowe’s film beyond reports of Taylor-Joy and Streep, and production details remain undisclosed.

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Cameron Crowe’s Mitchell biopic is reportedly moving forward with Anya Taylor-Joy and Meryl Streep attached, though the timeline and release plan have not been announced. Seyfried’s involvement appears concluded, and she is likely to pursue other acting and musical endeavors.

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