Photo by Niko Tavernise/Niko Tavernise – © 2024 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Barry Jenkins, who has directed “Moonlight” and “Mufasa: The Lion King“, will be the director of “Be My Baby“,  a biopic about legendary singer Ronnie Spector, the film will be distributed by A24 which teamed up with megastar Zendaya.

Spector lived in Spanish Harlem and created the girl group The Ronettes with her sibling Estelle Bennett and cousin Nedra Talley. Their breakthrough hit was “Be My Baby”, which was signed by Phil Spector, the famously volatile record producer. After getting married to Spector, she successfully fought for the rights to her music in her subsequent divorce. In the end, she was admitted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Zendaya has been attached to play Spector since late 2020 after the late Ronnie Spector hand picked the “Euphoria” actress herself. During that time, the playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury was scheduled to compose the script that was based on Vince Waldron’s book.

Dave Kajganich, who worked on “Bones and All” and “Suspiria“, has now been chosen to write an original screenplay that aims to explore the singer’s life and relationship with troubled producer Phil Spector, instead of a traditional cradle to the grave biopic. Marc Platt, Adam Siegel, Mark Itkin, Tom Shelly, Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, and Zendaya are producers.

This marks yet another collaboration for A24 and Jenkins, including Best Picture winner “Moonlight“ and the upcoming Sundance “darling Sorry, Baby“, in which Jenkins served as a producer. This is also the third collaboration for A24 and Zendaya following the Emmy-Award winning “Euphoria“ and the upcoming film “The Drama“ co-starring Robert Pattinson. She is repped by CAA and Monster Talent Management, and Granderson Des Rochers.

Jenkins recently directed “Mufasa“ for Disney which has crossed $720 million at the global box office. The film recently hit another milestone becoming the sixth highest grossing film of 2024, passing “Dune Part Two“.