Report: Meryl Streep to play Joni Mitchell in biopic

Joni Mitchell at The 68th annual Grammy Awards. (Phil McCarten/CBS via Getty Images) | Meryl Streep attends the Clooney Foundation for Justice's The Albies. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for The Clooney Foundation For Justice)

Although there has been no official announcement, Clive Davis appeared to confirm rumors that Meryl Streep has been cast to play Joni Mitchell in the upcoming biopic on the singer, penned by Mitchell’s good friend, writer/director Cameron Crowe.

According to Rolling Stone, the music exec spilled the beans during his annual pre-Grammy party Saturday in Los Angeles. While introducing Mitchell to the audience, he mentioned that Streep would portray in Crowe's film.

Crowe also seemed to confirm the news to the mag. When asked to comment on the casting news, Crowe told Rolling Stone to refer to Davis’ announcement. Streep’s rep declined to comment on Davis' statement, while Mitchell’s rep did not respond to the mag's request for a comment.

In March 2023, it was announced that Crowe was planning to write and direct a biopic on Mitchell, a project he had been working on with her for two years. In July of 2024, rumors surfaced that Streep would be playing the singer in her later years.

Crowe offered an update on the long-in-the-works Mitchell film in October 2025, telling Variety, “We’re gonna do it next year.” When asked about the casting at the time, he said there's “nothing I can confirm,” adding, “I’m just grateful that people are talking about it and that I get to tell the story.”

Monday, February 2, 2026 at 12:00PM by Jill Lances Permalink