Back to Black first trailer divides Amy Winehouse fans

Amy Winehouse's life is being dramatised in a new biopic titled Back to Black, after the late singer's iconic song and album of the same name.

The biopic will chart Winehouse's rise to fame and the impact she had on the music industry from the release of her debut album Frank in 2003 to her 2006 follow up Back to Black. It will also explore her tumultuous relationship with ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil.

Read more: What we know about Back to Black as trailer drops for Amy Winehouse biopic

Winehouse tragically died in July 2011 from alcohol poisoning at the age of 27, and during her lifetime she suffered from eating disorders and depression.

The film's first trailer was released on 10 January, and it was met with a divided response from fans as some felt it was "too soon" to be making a film about Winehouse's life, whilst others shared their cautious optimism from what they were able to see of the film and Marisa Abela's performance as Winehouse. The film also stars Jack O'Connell as Fielder-Civil, who fans also commented on.

Taking to social media to share their response to the trailer, one person wrote on X —formerly known as Twitter— the following: "1. I have to say this looks good. 2. I trust Marisa Abela to do well here, she's a great actress.

"3. OMFG, Jack O'Connell, almost lost it. 3. I hope they tell HER story right, and it's not just a retelling of her trauma, because she deserves better. #BackToBlack

Another viewer argued it wasn't the right time to release the biopic, saying in response to the trailer: "I … am not sure about this one. Honestly feels too soon. But last image intrigued me."

Other fans of Amy Winehouse were delighted at the prospect of her story being immortalised on the silver screen, as one person wrote: "We're going to need #BackToBlack to to be as amazing as this teaser trailer is, please & thank you."

Another person said: "This looks amazing! Definitely going to have to watch this", whilst one viewer said of the teaser, "Whoa... The new Amy Winehouse biopic trailer..."

Reflecting on Abela's look and performance, one person said: "The Actress looks a lot like Amy in some of these scenes. Wow."

Read more: Amy Winehouse's hairdresser reveals famous beehive haircut started out as a joke

Another viewer was delighted by the clip, and said of the trailer: "This actually looks so good! Amy is my girl. I hope this film does her justice."

On the opposite end of the spectrum, another viewer shared: "Not convinced about that #BackToBlack trailer… feel like its a bit flat… like its missing something… not sure what though"

There was also one fan who hit out at the film being made, saying that Winehouse "would never have consented" to having her story told and urged viewers not to watch the film.

Director Sam Taylor-Johnson has previously spoken about wanting to do right by Winehouse with the biopic, and said in a statement of Abela's performance: "Discovering a talent like Marisa Abela is akin to finding gold dust.

"The moment she looked into the lens at her first audition I knew she was the perfect actor to play Amy Winehouse. She put in an enormous amount of work, attention to every detail and she trained daily for hours to be able to sing throughout the entire movie. She doesn’t impersonate Amy, she inhabits her."

Back to Black will premiere in UK cinemas on 12 April, 2024.

Watch the trailer for Back to Black: