Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett
Does the Twilight star have what it takes to play the rocker in a biopic?
Twilight star Kristen Stewart has signed on to play Joan Jett in an upcoming biopic about the rocker’s 1970s all-girl band The Runaways, said Geeks of Doom, and she’s “the perfect choice.” Stewart is “still a teenager, but she’s 18, so she’s of legal age to play Jett’s sex, drugs, and rock and roll exploits, which began at age 15.” Not to mention Stewart’s “low voice and androgynous” characteristics—we “can’t wait” to see her “with guitar slung low and Jett’s old Suzi Quatro hairstyle!��
But Joan Jett is actually cool, said Josh Tyler in Cinema Blend, while Stewart isn’t. With Stewart in the role, we’ll likely get a mediocre movie in which Jett is played by a “really, really pretty girl.” It would be nice to have her portrayed by “a really solid, younger actress”—someone “with at least a few years, some experience, to put behind Joan’s eyes after she’s been living the rock and roll lifestyle for awhile.”
It’s true, said Erik Davis in Cinematical, Stewart “is a little boring to watch on screen— always playing the confused, distant and awkward teen.” But this could be the perfect opportunity for the young actress to surprise people, to “let her hair down” and “rock out of her shell.” And it’s “refreshing” to see a movie being made about female rockers “for once.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff