Lizzo to Rock Hollywood as Sister Rosetta Tharpe in Groundbreaking Biopic

In a delicious twist of artistic karma, Lizzo — the powerhouse who’s been shattering music industry norms since her breakthrough — is stepping into the shoes of another revolutionary: Sister Rosetta Tharpe. The upcoming Amazon MGM Studios biopic “Rosetta” marks a fascinating intersection of past and present, with one boundary-breaking artist channeling the spirit of another.

Let’s be real — Sister Rosetta Tharpe deserves way more than a footnote in rock history. Back when Elvis was still in diapers, this phenomenal woman was already wielding an electric guitar like a weapon of mass inspiration, melding gospel spirituals with what would become the backbone of rock ‘n’ roll. Now, as we approach 2025, it seems fitting that her story finally gets the spotlight it deserves.

The film zeros in on a particularly brilliant chapter of Tharpe’s life, culminating in her legendary stadium-wedding spectacle — the kind of audacious move that would make even today’s most outrageous performers raise an eyebrow. As a queer Black woman in an era that barely tolerated any of those identities, Tharpe didn’t just survive; she electrified.

“Black people made rock n roll yeaaaah,” Lizzo declared on Instagram, her enthusiasm practically leaping through the screen. There’s something rather perfect about this casting — both artists share that rare ability to make traditionalists clutch their pearls while simultaneously commanding respect for their raw talent.

The timing feels particularly resonant. Lizzo recently laid bare her own struggles during a raw performance at LA’s Wiltern Theatre, speaking about battling depression and feeling alienated from the world. “I was so deeply afraid of people that I didn’t want to be seen,” she confessed. Perhaps there’s no better time to step into the role of a woman who refused to dim her light, even when the world insisted she should.

For the uninitiated (and shame on us for needing this history lesson), Tharpe’s influence rippled through decades of music. Her innovative fusion of spiritual lyrics with electric guitar riffs in the 1930s and ’40s essentially wrote the playbook for what we now call rock ‘n’ roll. Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Elvis — they all owe a debt to the Godmother of Rock.

The project’s got some serious muscle behind it. Beyond Lizzo’s star power and producer role, industry veterans Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi are bringing their Significant Productions expertise to the table. The script, penned by Natalie Chaidez and Kwynn Perry, promises to dig deeper than your typical music biopic fare.

Sure, Lizzo’s acting resume might be relatively slim — a scene-stealing moment in “Hustlers” here, a quirky appearance as The Duchess in “The Mandalorian” there. But something about this feels right. Maybe it’s because both women share that ineffable quality of being unapologetically themselves in industries that often demand conformity.

As Amazon MGM Studios moves forward with “Rosetta,” they’re not just producing another biopic — they’re finally giving credit where it’s long overdue. In an era where conversations about representation and artistic legacy have never been more crucial, this project feels less like a history lesson and more like a much-needed correction to the record.

Rock ‘n’ roll’s DNA has always been Black, female, and queer — even if the history books sometimes forgot to mention it. Now that’s a truth that hits harder than any power chord.