Sam Taylor-Wood to direct John Lennon film

Sam Taylor-Wood (pictured above), the artist turned filmmaker, has been chosen to direct a movie about the early life of John Lennon. According to Screen Daily, Taylor-Wood, a former Turner Prize nominee and the wife of London contemporary art dealer Jay Jopling (owner of the White Cube gallery), will begin shooting the biopic, entitled Nowhere Boy, in March.

The film will be made on location in Liverpool and examine the influence Lennon’s Aunt Mimi and his mother Julia had on his life. Matt Greenhalgh, who wrote the Joy Division movie Control, will write the screenplay and Kate Winslet is one of several actresses Taylor-Wood, whose first film Love Me More was shortlisted for the Palm d'Or at Cannes this year, is considering to portray Lennon’s mother.

Says Taylor-Wood: "The women in John’s early life truly shaped who he became, and the strengths and weaknesses of their relationships are central to this film."

Taylor-Wood knows her way around the music industry, having worked with Elton John and the Pet Shop Boys on various projects. She is hoping these contacts might help her persuade Yoko Ono to agree to the use of certain Beatles and Lennon songs.