A film about John Lennon's killer that sparked intense controversy and physical transformation

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The 2007 film Chapter 27 explores the unstable psyche of Mark David Chapman in the days before he murdered John Lennon. Starring Jared Leto, the production became notorious for its subject matter, the actor's extreme physical transformation, and the ethical debate surrounding the dramatization of a real-life tragedy.

Directed by Jarrett Schaefer, Chapter 27 attempts to map the mental deterioration of Mark David Chapman, the man who shot John Lennon outside The Dakota in New York City on December 8, 1980. The title references the 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, which contains twenty-six chapters; Chapman was obsessed with the book and its protagonist, Holden Caulfield, and viewed his own violent act as a dark, final continuation of the story. The film relies on interviews Chapman gave to journalist Jack Jones in 1992, which were later published as the book Let Me Take You Down.

The production faced significant backlash, including an online petition aimed at preventing its theatrical release. Yoko Ono publicly expressed that the project would be painful for her, while Sean Lennon labeled the film tacky. Schaefer, a fan of both the Beatles and the source novel, claimed he began the script to understand how someone could be inspired to commit such violence by art that he personally found comforting. To maintain respect for the residents of The Dakota, the filmmakers chose to shoot scenes involving Lennon at a controlled studio location in Brooklyn rather than at the actual site of the murder.

Jared Leto’s commitment to the role involved gaining 67 pounds by consuming microwaved ice cream mixed with olive oil and soy sauce. This rapid weight gain caused him to develop gout and necessitated the use of a wheelchair during production. Critics were deeply divided; some praised Leto’s mesmeric, haunting performance, while others felt the film failed to truly penetrate the killer's mind. Ultimately, the movie remains a polarizing artifact of 2000s cinema, grossing approximately $187,488 worldwide while serving as a stark reminder of the public's complex relationship with the perpetrators of high-profile crimes.

General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.

Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?

Related

• The Twisted Obsession That Drove Mark David Chapman to Murder John Lennon
• Before the Beatles, John Lennon was a boy caught between two mothers
• A lost letter from John Lennon inspired this 2015 film about an aging rocker
• A 1970 film about vigilante violence became a sleeper hit and a legal headache
• A cinematic look at the chaotic hours following the assassination of John F. Kennedy
• How a simple clerical error accidentally turned a Hollywood classic into public domain property
• Why Robert Downey Jr. was the only saving grace of a troubled Chaplin biopic
• The 'Mad Austrian' who built a movie empire and a nation
• How a 1934 Soviet war film became a cultural obsession and political touchstone
• The actor who auditioned for Luke Skywalker but chose a lonelier path
• A high-budget sci-fi epic that struggled to find its footing on screen
• From a 1964 novel to an AI-voiced reality show

More in Films · More in Entertainment · Latest · A–Z · All topics