'LIKE AN IGNITION': MARISA ABELA STUNS WITH UNIQUE VOICE IN NEW AMY WINEHOUSE FILM

After the Oscar-winning documentary on her life, a new feature film about the late Amy Winehouse has just landed in our cinemas.

Stepping up to the microphone to play the singer-songwriter with the distinctive voice is rising star Marisa Abela.

The English actress will be familiar to fans of the hit HBO show Industry, and now she makes the jump from the small screen to the big one, transformed into Amy Winehouse.

Back to Black is a feature-length film about her life, directed by British artist and filmmaker Sam Taylor-Johnson.

These two women wanted to tell Amy's story through her music - and casting this role, clearly, was absolutely critical.

"I didn't want to make the movie with anyone who couldn't embody [Amy Winehouse]," Taylor-Johnson told Newshub's Kate Rodger.

"So I thought we were going to be on an incredibly long journey to find the perfect person, but really, meeting Marisa… When she actually looked into the camera and I was on the other side of the lens, I took a breath and just thought: 'I found her'."

There's no question Abela playing as Winehouse is pretty damn good, and it's a huge ask.

Getting her right meant feeling every single lyric of her songs and singing every single one of them herself.

"I just knew that it was so important to tell this story through her lyrics. That's what we were doing with this film, and I really needed to use those moments - those songs," Abela told Newshub.

"I really wanted to train as hard as I could to get as close as possible to resembling that sound," she said.

Newshub asked Abela if the role and musicianship came naturally.

"I think it is that, you're right. There's a feeling that you get, it's like an ignition," she replied.

Back to Black has just opened in cinemas across the land.

2024-05-04T09:48:05Z dg43tfdfdgfd