Upcoming Mišo Kovač film: The ‘Croatian Elvis’ deserves a movie

Mišo Kovač

A film about Mišo Kovač, the legendary Croatian singer, is in the works. Kovač is the best selling artist from Croatia, with well over 20 million records, cassettes and compact discs sold during his career.

Producers Igor and Fran Juraj Prižmić, along with screenwriter Boris Homovec, have been developing the project for several years, daily 24sata reported today.

Mišo Kovač, often referred to as the Elvis Presley of the region, has a life story that promises to captivate audiences.

Fran Juraj Prižmić noted that a well-made biopic about Mišo would attract a significant viewership due to his iconic status and fascinating life, filled with both success and tragedy.

This project aligns with a global trend of biographical films about major music stars. Recent films have highlighted the lives of Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Elton John, and soon, Frank Sinatra and Bob Dylan. Prižmić and his team aim to bring this trend to Croatia by chronicling the life of Mišo Kovač.

The film will trace Mišo’s journey from his childhood in Šibenik, his early performances, his rise to stardom in Zagreb and Split, to his later years.

It will depict his record-breaking sales, with 20 million albums sold in a country of 22 million people, and his reflections in his later years on his life’s most painful moments.

Currently, the team is preparing to apply for funding from the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) and other national institutions, as well as seeking regional co-producers and sponsors.

Casting will be done through open auditions to ensure the best talent for each role, especially for the significant female figures in Mišo’s life, including his mother, his wives, and his daughter Ivana.

The film’s script is being crafted by Boris Homovec, a seasoned writer and director known for his debut film “Više ne znam ko smo mi.”

While financing such a large-scale project is challenging, the team is confident it will attract substantial interest. Though it may not surpass the budget of the 1995 film “Gospa,” produced by Igor Prižmić, it aims to be a high-quality production worthy of Mišo Kovač’s legendary status.

Although direct discussions with Mišo and his wife Lidija have not yet occurred, Prižmić told 24sata that maintaining some distance might be beneficial.

This approach ensures a more objective portrayal of Mišo’s life, capturing why he remains an enduring icon and the “Croatian Elvis.”