Oscar nominee Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is bringing the Godmother of Rock and Roll to the big screen.
Live Nation Productions has tapped the King Richard and Nickel Boys actress to pen a feature centered on Sister Rosetta Tharpe — the fearless gospel singer and electric guitar virtuoso whose genre-bending sound helped birth rock and roll. The film is being developed in collaboration with Tribeca Studios, Jagged Films, and Inaudible Productions, with rock legend Mick Jagger attached to produce.
Crucially, the project has the full participation of Tharpe’s estate, including rights to her music catalog. The team has also secured exclusive rights to Gayle Wald’s definitive biography Shout, Sister, Shout!: The Untold Story of Rock-and-Roll Trailblazer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, which will serve as a key source for the film.
Born in the Jim Crow South and raised in the church, Tharpe exploded onto the music scene in the 1930s and ’40s. Her unapologetic stage presence, mastery of the guitar, and sacred-meets-secular style influenced generations — from Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash to Tina Turner, Little Richard, and Eric Clapton. Still, her trailblazing contributions were overlooked for decades. Tharpe died in 1973 and wasn’t inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until 2018.
“I’m thrilled to partner with Tribeca, Jagged Films and Inaudible Films to usher Sister Rosetta, a queer woman shaped in the pews of the Black South, to the screen,” said Ellis-Taylor in a statement. “With six guitar strings and an amplifier as a battering ram, she knocked down the Jericho walls of convention and respectability.”
In addition to the scripted film, a companion documentary is also in development. It will offer deeper insight into Tharpe’s legacy through interviews with her collaborators, friends, scholars, and protégés, and feature archival material from author Gayle Wald, including recordings with gospel singer Marie Knight, Tharpe’s longtime friend and musical partner.
Joining Jagger as producers are Victoria Pearman (Jagged Films), Jane Rosenthal and Berry Welsh (Tribeca Studios), Peter Afterman (Inaudible Productions), and Michael Rapino and Ryan Kroft (Live Nation Productions). Wald will serve as executive producer.
This is Ellis-Taylor’s second collaboration with Tribeca, having previously worked on Ava DuVernay’s Emmy-winning When They See Us. She also teamed up with Jagged Films on Get On Up, the James Brown biopic starring Chadwick Boseman.
Jagger praised Tharpe as “a trailblazing singer and electrifying guitarist” who “reshaped music history and influenced countless artists.” Rosenthal added that Tribeca is proud to support Ellis-Taylor’s vision in bringing this “enigmatic icon’s story to light.”
This marks the second major screen project centering Tharpe in recent years. As previously reported, Lizzo is also developing a separate project focused on the rock-and-roll pioneer. It’s encouraging to see Tharpe — a foundational figure in American music — finally getting her due.