Marisa Abela transforms into Amy Winehouse during night shoot for Back To Black biopic

Industry’s Marisa Abela transformed into Amy Winehouse as she continued filming the Back To Black biopic in London on Tuesday.

The actress 26, was the spitting image of the late musician, who died from alcohol poisoning aged 27 in 2011, as she filmed the much-anticipated movie.

She channelled the late singer in a leopard-print top and joggers and swigged from a bottle while surrounded by crew members during the nighttime shoot.

Marisa, who also sported a pair of pink hoop earrings and Amy’s signature pumps, walked alone through Camden, where the star lived before her death.

The filming comes after Mitch Winehouse defended the controversial casting choice for the new biopic – after many claimed Marisa and Amy don’t look enough alike.

Dead-ringer: Industry’s Marisa Abela transformed into Amy Winehouse as she continued filming the Back To Black biopic in London on Tuesday

Dad Mitch disagrees with the backlash as he shared this week that Marisa is a ‘great choice’, admitting it doesn’t matter if they ‘don’t look exactly alike’. 

Chatting with TMZ on the new release about his daughter, Mitch said: ‘Marisa is Marisa and Amy is Amy … so it’s no big deal if they aren’t mirror images. 

‘Marisa is a great choice for the role.’

He continued that Eddie Marsan, who is playing Mitch, doesn’t look exactly like him either, noting: ‘there’s too much emphasis on looks.

‘Because there’s plenty of Hollywood examples of actors not looking like their real-life character.’

Mitch’s defense comes as the casting choice of Marisa, who is known for playing Yasmin in BBC One TV series Industry, left many fans divided as they took to social media.

One fan tweeted: ‘Marisa Abela is a good actress but anyone who thinks she looks anything like Amy Winehouse needs to make an appointment with their eye doctor’.

‘Marisa Abela looks nothing like Amy Winehouse,’ echoed another.

In-character: The actress 26, was the spitting image of the late musician, who died from alcohol poisoning aged 27 in 2011, as she filmed the much-anticipated movie

Real deal: Amy is pictured in 2009 wearing a similar outfit

In-character: The actress 26, was the spitting image of the late musician, who died from alcohol poisoning aged 27 in 2011, as she filmed the much-anticipated movie

Tragic: She channelled the late singer in a leopard-print top and joggers

Tragic: She channelled the late singer in a leopard-print top and joggers

Acting: Marisa swigged from a bottle while surrounded by crew members during the nighttime shoot

Filming: Marisa walked alone through Camden, where the star lived before her death.

Acting: Marisa swigged from a bottle while surrounded by crew members during the nighttime shoot

Outfit: She sported a pair of pink hoop earrings and Amy's signature pumps

Outfit: She sported a pair of pink hoop earrings and Amy’s signature pumps

As a third added: ‘It’s not a good choice. #amywinehouse had a natural softness and vulnerability. but Marisa Abela, as Amy, just looks hard and mean. Sorry’.

Mitch and wife Janis are parents to Amy, who passed away from alcohol poisoning in 2011, and son Alex, 44.

But while the casting has her parents’ seal of approval, Amy’s friends are not so convinced either.

One told The Mail on Sunday that they are unhappy at the casting of Marisa because, despite the near perfect wig she wears and the identical tattoos, they do not think she looks like the Rehab singer.

They also contrast Roedean-educated Ms Abela’s social background with London-born Ms Winehouse, who was known for her streetwise persona.

‘Nobody consulted us about Amy,’ said the friend. 

His side: The filming comes after Mitch Winehouse defended the controversial casting choice for the new biopic - after many claimed Marisa and Amy don't look enough alike

His side: The filming comes after Mitch Winehouse defended the controversial casting choice for the new biopic – after many claimed Marisa and Amy don’t look enough alike

Defending: Dad Mitch disagrees with the backlash as he shared this week that Marisa is a 'great choice'

Argument: He admitted it doesn't matter if they 'don't look exactly alike'

Defending: Dad Mitch disagrees with the backlash as he shared this week that Marisa is a ‘great choice’

Tough: Marisa, who is known for her role in BBC show Industry, has received backlash over the casting as fans claim she isn't the right fit

Tough: Marisa, who is known for her role in BBC show Industry, has received backlash over the casting as fans claim she isn’t the right fit

Casting: Chatting with TM Z on the new release about his daughter, Mitch said: 'Marisa is Marisa and Amy is Amy ... so it's no big deal if they aren't mirror images'

He added: 'Marisa is a great choice for the role'

Casting: Chatting with TM Z on the new release about his daughter, Mitch said: ‘Marisa is Marisa and Amy is Amy … so it’s no big deal if they aren’t mirror images’

Good point: He continued that Eddie Marsan, who is playing Mitch, doesn't look exactly like him either, noting: 'there’s too much emphasis on looks'

Good point: He continued that Eddie Marsan, who is playing Mitch, doesn’t look exactly like him either, noting: ‘there’s too much emphasis on looks’

‘How can it be authentic and accurate if they don’t know the real Amy or the truth about what happened in her final years? We are against this and we are upset. Amy was absolutely striking.’

Friends of Amy are also furious with the makers of the biopic for failing to consult them about the star’s life, claiming that executives working on Back To Black have not been in touch to ask about their memories of the late singer, raising fears that the film will be inaccurate.

Despite it being almost 12 years since Ms Winehouse was found unresponsive at her townhouse in Camden, North London, in July 2011, her grief-stricken friends still believe it is early for such a film to be made.

Sources on the set of Back To Black – directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson and named after Ms Winehouse’s hit 2006 album – say that filming is due to last 10 weeks.

One insider said: ‘It all feels very fast, almost a bit smash and grab.’

Many have also doubted the film being made as a whole, accusing the project of ‘exploiting the singer’s legacy’ and ‘capitalising off her trauma’, with some calling for people to ‘just let her rest’.

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