Baby Reindeer favourite Jessica Gunning to play music icon Mama Cass Elliot in new biopic

Movies about musicians are still incredibly popular, and now a biopic about Cass Elliot, the singer from The Mamas & the Papas, is in the works.

Jessica Gunning, who starred in ‘Baby Reindeer,’ will portray singer Mama Cass in a new movie. The film is based on a memoir written by Cass Elliot’s son, Owen Elliot-Kugell, and adapted for the screen by Emma Forrest. They are still looking for a director for the project.

The project will explore the life, career, and music of Ellie Greenwich, but it won’t be a traditional movie about her band, The Mamas & the Papas. While the band—known for songs like “California Dreamin’” and their influence on the 1960s counterculture—was a significant part of her story, the focus will be broader than just their time together.

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While she’s best known for her work with the band, Elliot later pursued a successful solo career, releasing five albums that included the popular songs “Make Your Own Kind of Music” and “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”

She died unexpectedly at the young age of 32 in 1968 from a heart attack. Her musical contributions were later recognized with her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

The upcoming film, currently called My Mama Cass, will reportedly explore Elliot-Kugell’s efforts to correct a persistent rumor about how his mother died – specifically, the claim that she choked on a ham sandwich.

The film is being made by Veritas Entertainment, the production company that also created the Oscar-nominated Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. That film explored a similar time period in American folk music.

Cass Elliott’s life story joins a growing list of musical legends depicted in recent films, following biopics about artists like Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley, and Whitney Houston. Several more projects are also in the works, including a film about Michael Jackson and Sam Mendes’ upcoming movie about The Beatles.

Jessica Gunning gained widespread recognition for her critically acclaimed role as Martha in the 2024 Netflix series Baby Reindeer. She’s also been in Back and The Outlaws, and has upcoming parts in the films The Christophers and The Magic Faraway Tree.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona is TopMob’s Senior Film Writer, covering new movies in theaters and on streaming platforms. He’s been with the site since October 2019, during which time he’s interviewed many famous actors and reviewed a wide variety of films.

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2026-02-13 15:04

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