A cinematic project titled 'Billy & Me,' focusing on the early professional life of musician Billy Joel, has commenced development despite a lack of authorization from the subject.

一部名為《Billy & Me》的電影計畫，聚焦於音樂家 Billy Joel 的早期職業生涯，儘管未獲得當事人的授權，但已展開開發。

The production, directed by John Ottman and written by Adam Ripp, seeks to examine the formative years of Billy Joel through the perspective of his initial manager, Irwin Mazur. Historical antecedents involve Mazur's discovery of Joel in 1966 and subsequent management until 1972. The narrative scope is further informed by the involvement of Jon Small, a former associate and drummer, who serves as a consultant and co-executive producer. Small's historical connection to Joel includes their tenure in the bands The Hassles and Attila, as well as a complex personal history involving the subject's marriage to Small's former spouse.

本片由 John Ottman 執導，Adam Ripp 編劇，旨在透過其首任經理 Irwin Mazur 的視角，探討 Billy Joel 的成長時期。歷史背景涉及 Mazur 在 1966 年挖掘 Joel，並隨後管理至 1972 年。敘事範圍進一步由前合作夥伴兼鼓手 Jon Small 參與決定，他擔任顧問及共同執行製作人。Small 與 Joel 的歷史聯繫包括他們在 The Hassles 與 Attila 樂團共事的期間，以及涉及主角與 Small 前配偶結婚的複雜個人歷史。

Stakeholder positioning reveals a significant divergence regarding intellectual property. Representatives for Billy Joel assert that the production lacks the requisite life and music rights, characterizing the project's progression as legally and professionally misguided. Conversely, the production team maintains that the film is not a comprehensive biography but an intimate origin story. Screenwriter Adam Ripp contends that the project does not rely upon Joel's hit catalog, focusing instead on the period preceding his commercial breakthrough and his performance of cover songs. Consequently, the filmmakers have secured the life rights of Mazur and Small to facilitate the narrative, while the subject remains formally detached from the process.

相關利益方的立場在知識產權方面存在顯著分歧。Billy Joel 的代表聲稱該製作缺乏必要的人生權與音樂權，將項目的推進定調為在法律與專業上均有誤導。相反，製作團隊堅持該片並非一部全面的傳記，而是一個親密的起源故事。編劇 Adam Ripp 主張該項目並不依賴 Joel 的熱門曲目，而是聚焦於其商業突破之前的時期及其翻唱歌曲的演出。因此，電影製作者已取得 Mazur 與 Small 的人生權以推動敘事，而當事人則在形式上與此過程脫離。

The project remains in pre-production and casting, characterized by a fundamental disagreement over the necessity of the subject's consent and the utilization of his intellectual property.

該計畫目前仍處於前期製作與選角階段，其特點是對當事人同意的必要性以及其知識產權的利用存在根本分歧。