Joni Mitchell movie: Meryl Streep to play folk icon in Cameron Crowe movie

4 February 2026, 11:45

"It's Joni’s life, not through anybody else's prism."

A Joni Mitchell biopic has been long in the making, and it now seems as though the film has cast a megastar to play the folk legend.

Record executive Clive Davis told Rolling Stone at his pre-Grammys party on Saturday (January 31) that Meryl Streep will play Mitchell in the movie.

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"It's Joni's life, not through anybody else's prism," Davis said

"It's through her prism. It's the characters who impacted her life that you know and a lot that you don't know. And the music is so cinematic."

At 76 year's old, it's striking that Streep is only six years younger than the 82-year-old Mitchell is today.

Streep has long been rumoured for the role, with insiders also hinting that a younger actor may play Joni at earlier stages in her life.

Joni Mitchell - I Don't Know Where I Stand (Live 10/27/1967) [Official Audio]

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga star Anya Taylor-Joy has been tipped for the role.

As an ex-music journalist and the director of the classic Almost Famous, Cameron Crowe feels like an excellent choice to make the film.

He's been working on the project on and off for several years and confirmed last year that it was now definitely on its way.

"We’re going to make it next year," he said. "There’s not a lot I can say about it. Soon I’ll be able to speak more definitively about who’s in it and how we’re gonna do it and everything."