Brad Pitt once considered starring in a biographical film about Jeff Buckley, the gifted musician whose life was tragically cut short in 1997 at the age of 30.
Buckley’s mother, Mary Guibert, recently disclosed that the Wolfs star, now 61, personally sought her approval to create the biopic. This request came after she was invited to his 2000 wedding to Jennifer Aniston, an invitation she gladly accepted.
“If you have 20 people reaching out to you, and one of them is Brad Pitt, who would you choose to meet with?” Guibert joked in an interview with Variety. However, despite the intrigue surrounding the project, she admitted feeling uncertain about proceeding with the film.
“So, we’re going to dye your hair, put brown contact lenses on those blue eyes, and then you’ll open your mouth, and Jeff’s voice will come out?” she recalled asking Pitt, illustrating her skepticism about the feasibility of the portrayal.
Guibert ultimately opted against the biopic and instead pursued a documentary to honor her only son, renowned for his haunting rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and his celebrated 1994 album, Grace. Even after making this decision, she and Pitt remained in contact over the years.
Throughout the documentary’s development, Pitt played a significant role in preserving Buckley’s legacy, helping digitize the late musician’s personal archives. He even took on a producer role for the film, titled It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley.
The documentary was helmed by director Amy Berg, best known for her work on West of Memphis. She shared Guibert’s vision for the project and explained why she felt a documentary was the most fitting tribute.
“Once I started listening to his voicemail messages, his DAP player, demos, and reading his journals, I realized I couldn’t see this being anything other than a documentary,” Berg told. “I just didn’t know how you could authentically capture Jeff in a scripted format.”
One of the key aspects the documentary explores is the circumstances surrounding Buckley’s death. Berg addressed a common misconception, stating that while some speculated he had overdosed, this was far from the truth.
His death was officially ruled as an accidental drowning in a Memphis river. She emphasized that Buckley’s legacy remains timeless.
“One of the remarkable things about Jeff Buckley is that people seem to discover him at just the right moment,” Berg said. “His impact on TikTok is incredible—surprisingly, the Jeff Buckley hashtag has more followers than even Bob Dylan’s. He’s definitely having a resurgence in pop culture.”
It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 24.
