tech
February 25, 2026
‘People feel like they’re in on the joke’: the new wave of pseudo-biopics
It’s not about John Bishop, Anna Wintour or Bill Clinton, but … Screen stories about pop stars, actors, sporting heroes or politicians bend fact by steering close to the deeds, or misdeeds, of real celebrities. What’s behind their rise?
TL;DR
- Filmmakers are increasingly creating 'pseudo-biopics' that are inspired by real people and events but are not direct biographies.
- This trend allows filmmakers to borrow the cultural cachet of real individuals while maintaining creative distance and potentially avoiding legal issues.
- Examples include films loosely based on table tennis player Marty Reisman, comic John Bishop, and Hunter Biden.
- The strategy can make pitching projects easier by appealing to an audience that feels 'in on the joke'.
- This approach offers flexibility to explore themes and elements not present in the actual lives of the subjects, or to delve into aspects people might not want to discuss.
- Some films blur lines further by having actors play thinly veiled versions of themselves or other celebrities.
- The rise of pseudo-biopics may also be a response to the box-office struggles of traditional biopics, offering a way to combat genre fatigue.
- The approach combines the benefits of a ready-made audience with narrative freedom, and more such projects are expected.
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