It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley: Why Brad Pitt Couldn’t Play Tragic Musician in Planned Biopic?

Brad Pitt once dreamed of playing Jeff Buckley, but his mother refused, leading Amy Berg to come up with It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley documentary.

Credit:- Apple TV+

Brad Pitt once had big dreams of playing the role of the real-life troubled musician, Jeff Buckley, in a movie.

But the late singer’s mother, Mary Guibert, wasn’t so sure about it.

According to Guibert’s interview with Variety, Pitt initially approached her about acquiring permission for making a film about her late son, back in the 2000s.

If there’s 20 people calling you, and Brad Pitt is one of them, who are you gonna pick to go see?

But then, as she realized what was going to happen and how Brad Pitt would portray her only child onscreen, Mary Guibert quickly began to feel uneasy.

For her, it wasn’t just about having a famous face play her son; it was about capturing Buckley’s voice, his spirit, and his soul.

So, once she asked Pitt about the process, Guibert became protective of her son’s legacy.

We’re going to dye your hair, put brown contact lenses on those baby blues, and you’re going to open your mouth and Jeff’s voice is going to come out?

While Mary Guibert rejected Brad Pitt’s idea and refused to allow him to portray her son onscreen, the actor wasn’t the only Hollywood name who wanted to tell the tale.

Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg also showed interest in making a film about Jeff Buckley.

Only this time, Guibert agreed, giving her permission to move forward with the project.

Moved by Jeff Buckley’s Album, Amy Berg Came Up With the Planned Biopic

After her documentary, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley was finally released on August 8, 2025.

Amy Berg sat for an interview with Reuters.

Therein, she discussed the inspiration behind her idea for this project.

Claiming to have first discovered Jeff Buckley through his famous album Grace, Berg mentioned getting the urge to popularize the singer’s story.

Amy Berg reflected on how the album Grace came out at a time when most of the music world was filled with loud grunge and heavy rock.

But when she heard Buckley’s soft yet powerful voice, it felt like something completely new.

The director said the album touched her deeply and gave her “all the feels”.

I was very moved by his album, “Grace.” It came at a time when music was very grungy and heavy and aggressive and very male.

I heard this album and it just opened me up.

I had all the feels.

I loved “Grace,” I loved Jeff Buckley.

And then just a couple of years later, he passed away while he was making his second album.

I’ve stayed with this album — it stayed with me, I should say — and just watched how his popularity has actually gone up.

It seems like every generation, he has a whole bunch of new followers, and it’s kind of an unusual phenomenon to just have made one album and be bigger today than he was back in the ’90s.

I’ve been wanting to tell his story since then.

For Amy Berg, Grace wasn’t just another record.

It was a piece of art that stayed with her for years.

She explained that even though Jeff Buckley only released one album before his passing, it became timeless.

His music only grew in popularity after his death, which made his story even more special to tell.

Therefore, since the album had an emotional impact on her, Amy Berg decided to share that same feeling with the world.

The planned biopic thus became her way of paying tribute to an artist who had changed music in such a short time.

Why Did Amy Berg Choose to Make a Documentary Over a Jeff Buckley Film

Meanwhile, speaking with Billboard, Amy Berg revealed why she planned on making a documentary film on the late legend, instead of the scripted movie as requested by Mary Guibert.

Turns out, Amy Berg has spent nearly two decades pursuing her vision of creating a documentary about Jeff Buckley.

This is why she initially approached his mother in 2007, when Guibert requested to make a scripted film and offered it to Berg.

But then, after exploring the incredible archive of the singer, something shifted in the filmmaker.

Jeff Buckley in a still from It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley | image: Magnolia Pictures

The Oscar nominee mentioned that once she got access to Jeff Buckley’s personal belongings, she changed her plan.

Instead of a scripted movie, she decided to make a documentary because his journals, voicemails, demos, and private recordings gave her a raw and real view of Buckley’s life.

Once I started listening to his voicemail messages and his DAP player and demos and reading his journals, I just couldn’t imagine it being anything but a documentary. And I just didn’t know how you could kind of replicate Jeff in that scripted sense. 

Amy Berg explained that after hearing Jeff Buckley’s actual voice on recordings, it felt wrong to cast someone to act as him.

No actor could truly capture his spirit, voice, and personality. To her, the best way to honor him was to let the musician speak for himself through his own words and music.

That way, fans could see the real man behind the legend.

Movie Name
Release Date
Rotten Tomatoes Score
IMDb Score

It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley
August 8, 2025
98%
8.3

The documentary, It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, became the result of that choice.

With Brad Pitt later joining as an executive producer, the film carefully preserves Buckley’s story while making sure his legacy stays authentic.

How Was Jeff Buckley’s Life Cut Short at 30 in a Tragic Accident

Now, for those interested in reading about Jeff Buckley’s story, the legendary singer was born in 1966 to Mary Guibert and folk singer Tim Buckley.

Though Buckley’s father passed away when he was very young, the singer carried on the musical legacy in his own way.

He started out as a session musician, later performing in New York City’s East Village.

A still from It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley | image: Magnolia Pictures

Therein his talent quickly gained attention, and in 1994, Buckley signed with Columbia Records and released his debut album, Grace.

At first, it didn’t top the charts, but over time, critics and fans began to appreciate it as one of the greatest albums of the decade.

Songs like Hallelujah became timeless classics, making Buckley’s voice unforgettable.

Sadly, the singer’s life ended far too soon.

In 1997, while in Memphis, he went for a spontaneous swim in the Mississippi River and drowned (via NY Times).

He was only 30 years old when tragedy struck.

Even though he never completed a second album, his mother later released his unfinished work in a demo album, Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk, keeping his music alive for the world.

Let us know in the comments if you’ve watched the documentary on Jeff Buckley.

It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley is currently running at your nearest theaters.