‘Janis: Little Girl Blue’ Joplin Documentary Tells Her Story Through Private And Personal Letters

Janis Joplin died tragically Oct 4, 1970, at age 27, and her death came as a sudden shock to many. Chronicling the life of this often misunderstood singer, Janis: Little Girl Blue will be released in limited U.S. theaters next month.

Recently announced by FilmRise and reported by Entertainment Weekly, a biopic about legendary singer Janis Joplin, Janis: Little Girl Blue will make its first appearance in the U.S. on November 27. Joplin fans will be able to see the film in select New York theaters, then later in Los Angeles on December 4. The film will also be released via home media and digital outlets sometime in December. The biopic will make its television debut in 2016 on the PBS’s American Masters.

Outside the U.S., the Joplin documentary premiered last month at the Venice Film Festival, as well as festivals in Deauville and Toronto. Fans in London, Rio de Janeiro, and Warsaw will be able to see it later this month.

Written and directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg, Janis: Little Girl Blue explores the troubled life of Janis Joplin through interviews with friends and family as well as audio and video footage of the singer. Much of the story is told in Joplin’s own words through never-seen-before letters recently released to Berg by the Joplin family.

Singer Chan Marshall a.k.a. Cat Power will be reading Joplin’s letters and is the film’s narrator.

In a recent press release about the Little Girl Blue Joplin documentary, Berg explained how Janis played a crucial role not only in music but as a cultural icon as well.

“Janis Joplin, the artist and the woman, was a major figure in the counterculture movement. She also played an important role for women as a ground breaker and the first woman of rock and roll. I am so pleased that FilmRise will be giving this film a platform so that more people can be introduced to this wonderfully talented and complex icon.”

Little Girl Blue was produced by Alex Gibney and is distributed by FilmRise. Amy Berg also wrote and directed previous documentaries Deliver Us From Evil, West of Memphis, and An Open Secret.

On the Janis Joplin website, FilmRise CEO Danny Fisher commented on the cultural importance of bringing a Joplin documentary like this to reality.

“The film is not only a study on this much-adored but deeply-troubled singer, but also a moving time capsule of the 1960s as well as a modern reflection on celebrity and culture. We are honored to be releasing this film and know that audiences will connect with Janis’ story.”

In 1970, no one expected Janis Joplin to die in the early hours of October 4 from a heroin overdose. At the time, everything was going good for Joplin. She was just finishing up her latest album, Pearl, was engaged to boyfriend Seth Morgan, and was about to leave to go on tour with the Full Tilt Boogie Band.

Now, over 45 years after her unexpected death, the iconic female blues/rock singer continues to fascinate and remains one of the most revered musicians of all time. Through her recordings and filmed performances, Janis Joplin lives on to inspire new artists and entertain new fans.

Even the late singer’s car received some unexpected attention recently. In a previous report by the Inquisitr, Joplin’s custom painted 1965 Porsche will be sold by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum at an upcoming Sotheby’s auction for an estimated $400,000.

Also, be on the lookout for another Joplin documentary produced by Jeff Jampol in association with Spitfire Films that is in the works as well.

The Janis: Little Girl Blue documentary comes after the release of Amy, which follows the sudden and tragic death of Amy Winehouse, and Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, about Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain’s downward spiral and untimely demise. Interestingly, like Joplin, both Winehouse and Cobain also died at age 27.

[Photos courtesy: Evening Standard/Mike Windle via Getty Images; Joplin Film Poster courtesy of Janis Joplin website]