Hollywood has been finding inspiration in true stories since movies began, and it has proven to be a fruitful enterprise. In 2018 alone, audiences couldn't stop talking about Beautiful Boy or anticipating the rock and roll story of Freddie Mercury's life in Bohemian Rhapsody. It's still early days, but it looks like 2019 will be another year full of movies based on true stories that need to be on your must-watch list. From a tale of two car companies locked in a battle to prove whose automobiles are best to the Elton John biopic that the world's been waiting for, 2019's crop of movies based on true stories are bound to keep you enthralled and marveling at how often the truth is stranger than fiction.
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WWE fans, this one is for you. Dwayne Johnson produced Fighting With My Family, an ode to wrestling which is based on the 2012 documentary The Wrestlers: Fighting With My Family. The film tells the true story of WWE star Paige, who comes from a family of wrestlers. Florence Pugh, Jack Lowden, Nick Frost, Vince Vaughn, and Lena Headey all star. Johnson also appears in the film as himself, aka The Rock.
Release date: Mar. 1
Metal band Mötley Crüe got the biopic treatment in this Netflix film that tracks their rise from members of the Los Angeles music scene to certified '80s icons. The Dirt stars Machine Gun Kelly, Pete Davidson, and Game of Thrones star Iwan Rheon.
Release date: Mar. 22
Taraji P. Henson and Sam Rockwell star in The Best of Enemies, a film about the unlikely alliance that formed between black activist Ann Atwater and Ku Klux Klan member Claiborne Paul Ellis when they were both placed on a committee to oversee the desegregation of schools in Durham, NC in the 1960s. When the two were forced to work together, they discovered that they actually shared some of the same values, at least when it came to their children.
Release date: Apr. 5
Based on the Joyce Smith book The Impossible, Breakthrough is a faith-based film starring This Is Us favorite Chrissy Metz and Topher Grace. The movie tells the true story of Smith's son, who fell through some ice and was declared legally dead. One hour later, the basketball-loving teen was revived after his mother prayed over him.
Release date: Apr. 12
One of the most celebrated literary figures of our time never existed at all. J.T. LeRoy is the wild true story of a woman named Savannah Knoop who posed as the titular author at the urging of her sister-in-law. In truth, LeRoy was always fictitious — he was nothing more than the pen name of Knoop's sister-in-law, but for a time, members of the Hollywood and fashion elite became enamored with the mercurial figure they knew only as J.T. LeRoy. The film stars Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern.
Release date: Apr. 26
Netflix snatched up the rights to the controversial Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile shortly after it made its debut at the Sundance Film Festival. The film stars Zac Efron as the infamous serial killer Ted Bundy, and chronicles his crimes, arrest, escape, and trial. Early reviews suggest this could be a standout performance for Efron, who is leaving his teen comedy days firmly behind him with this challenging and thoroughly unsettling role.
Release date: May 3
J. R. R. Tolkien is one of the most famous names in fantasy literature thanks to his astonishing The Lord of the Rings trilogy and its prequel The Hobbit. Now it's time for the author himself to take center stage in an upcoming film simply titled Tolkien. Starring Nicholas Hoult, the movie follows Tolkien from his school days, where he formed unbreakable friendships with a group of fellow students to the role World War I played in shaping his writing. This period piece is set to give us an inside look into the man behind the books.
Release date: May 10
Directed by Dexter Fletcher, Rocketman is an Elton John biopic that will mix fantasy-music sequences with the true story of the legendary singer. The film stars Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Richard Madden. The first trailer for Rocketman teases, "There are moments in a rock star's life that define who he is. Where there was darkness there is no you, and it's going to be a wild ride."
Release date: May 31
Ford vs. Ferrari is set to dramatize one of the most exciting and ambitious automobile races in history. Henry Ford II contracted a team of engineers led by Carroll Shelby to build a totally new car capable of beating the Ferrari in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France. The story is one of ingenuity and daring that's sure to feature plenty of action. The film stars Matt Damon, Christian Bale, and Caitriona Balfe.
Release date: June 28
As is often the case with Quentin Tarantino films, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood will be a marriage of fact and fiction. The details of the film are largely being kept secret, but the logline reveals that a western star and his stunt double will struggle to find their place in '60s-era Hollywood. It seems that, along the way, they'll be meeting real-life figures, including Sharon Tate, Steve McQueen, and Charles Manson. The star-studded cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Al Pacino.
Release date: July 26
The life of Judy Garland takes center stage in the upcoming biopic Judy, starring Renée Zellweger as the famed singer and actor. More specifically, the movie will hone in on her arrival in London for a series of sold-out concerts in the 1960s. The film is an adaptation of the award-winning play End of the Rainbow.
Release date: Sept. 27
Based on the Esquire article by Tom Junod, You Are My Friend tells the story of Mr. Rogers and how he changed the cynical Lloyd Vogel's mind simply by being his kind self. Tom Hanks is set to play Mr. Rogers, while Matthew Rhys will play Vogel, the journalist based on Junod.
Release date: Oct. 18
Directed by Roland Emmerich, Midway is a war film set against the backdrop of the Battle of Midway during World War II. Details about the film's plot beyond its historical setting are still under wraps, but this isn't the first time Hollywood has made a film about the decisive naval battle. It previously served as the subject for the 1976 film of the same name starring Henry Fonda. This time around, the movie stars Nick Jonas, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans, and Mandy Moore.
Release date: Nov. 8
