Hollywood is buzzing after leaked behind-the-scenes footage surfaced this week, showing acclaimed actor Adam Driver nearly unrecognizable as a young Neil Diamond in an upcoming biopic.
In the footage, Driver, known for his intense method acting, is seen in full 1970s costume: glittering shirts, wide lapels, tight curls, and a charisma that mirrors Diamond’s stage presence with uncanny accuracy. The project, currently untitled and under the banner of a major studio (rumored to be Universal Pictures), has been kept tightly under wraps — until now.
Sources close to production reveal that Driver spent over five months undergoing vocal and performance training, working with both speech coaches and former members of Diamond’s touring crew. His goal: not to impersonate, but to embody.
In a tearful interview snippet recorded on set, Driver says:
“I’m not playing Neil… I became him. You can’t mimic that kind of pain, that kind of power. You have to feel it.”
The film is said to span Diamond’s early songwriting years in Brooklyn, his meteoric rise in the late ’60s and ’70s, and the personal demons he faced behind the sequins and spotlight. Multiple musical sequences have been choreographed to mirror real concert footage, including “Sweet Caroline,” “Solitary Man,” and “I Am… I Said.”
Fans and critics alike are stunned by Driver’s transformation. Early whispers from within the studio call his performance “career-defining” and “Oscar-worthy.” Even those skeptical of the casting choice now say: “He’s not doing an impression. He’s channeling.”
Production insiders confirm that the film will include newly recorded vocals, with Driver performing several tracks himself. While some original audio may also be used, the team reportedly wanted the emotional authenticity of live singing in key dramatic scenes.
The real Neil Diamond, now 84 and retired from touring due to Parkinson’s, has reportedly approved the script and met with Driver privately at least once. Their conversation, according to one witness, was “emotional, silent for long moments, and ended with a hug.”
Currently in post-production, the film is expected to premiere during the next awards season, with industry buzz already putting it in the spotlight for Best Actor and Best Sound Design.
For a story about one of America’s most soulful voices, the stakes are high. But with Adam Driver channeling the hurt, hope, and fire behind every lyric, one thing is certain — Neil Diamond’s voice is about to rise again, this time through a different body, but the same soul.