Amy Winehouse walks the halls of her New York hotel in previously unused video footage for 2004 single In My Bed – as a new biopic about the late singer's life and tragic death divides fans

The controversy surrounding a new biopic about the life and times of tragic singer Amy Winehouse was set aside on Tuesday when previously unseen footage of the star was released to the general public.

Opinions among Winehouse fans are divided over the decision to document her rise to fame, troubled relationships and spiral into drug and alcohol addiction in a new film directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

But all that was swept aside when previously unseen footage of the promotional video for her third single In My Bed, originally released on April 5, 2004 as a double A-side with You Sent Me Flying, surfaced.

The scenes, filmed in a New York City hotel room, have been released to celebrate the upcoming 20th anniversary of her debut album Frank.

Initially released in Britain in 2003, the album was released more widely in Europe and North America the following year.

The original video for the album's third single, directed by Paul Gore, features a 20-year-old Winehouse saying goodnight to her boyfriend and prowling the hallways of a New York hotel before singing the song with a backing band.

It ends with the singer returning to her sloppy room, where she is promptly greeted by a mysterious man for a supposed act of infidelity.

Previously unused images from the set follow a similar theme, with Winehouse wearing a floral mini-dress and understated makeup as he walks the hotel's plush carpets.

The raw rushes have been stitched together for a lyric video, to be released Tuesday by record label UMR/Island Records, ahead of Frank's milestone birthday.

Winehouse died on July 23, 2011 at the age of 27. An initial inquest determined her cause of death was misadventure after a subsequent toxicology report found she was more than five times over the drink-drive limit when her body was found in her Camden. At home.

A second investigation, conducted in 2013 after British authorities launched a new investigation into her death, concluded that the singer died of an alcohol overdose.

The singer's untimely death and her earlier descent into crack cocaine and heroin addiction will be documented in the new biopic Back To Black – named after one of her best-known singles – when it goes into general release in April.

A short trailer has already divided fans, but Mark Ronson – who Winehouse collaborated with on hit single Valerie – has defended the film, claiming it captures the late singer's 'whip-smart' humour.

The music producer, who was friends with the beloved British star until her death in July 2011, talked about the film as he picked up the gong for Best Song at the Critics' Choice Awards on Sunday night.

The film has generated a lot of controversy prior to its release, with many accusing the project of “exploiting the singer's legacy” and “capitalizing on her trauma.”

He praised director Sam Taylor-Johnson, Ronson, saying: “The only thing I know about the film is that I know Sam quite well and I read the script and I feel it did very well: I was reminded of her humor and it really caught so well.

“I think she just had a really clever sense of humor, which is one of her many gifts, and they got that really nicely in the movie. I'm looking forward to seeing it.'

His comments came days after the first trailer was released, which showed actress Marisa Abela, in the role of the troubled singer, dying at the age of 27 from alcohol poisoning.

The trailer references Winehouse's tumultuous romance with ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil, played by Jack O'Connell, and also includes glimpses into her struggles with mental illness and addiction.

Abela, 27, who has starred in the hit drama industry, is seen in tears as she runs from paparazzi, appearing outside court and joking: 'You have to remember, I'm not a Spice Girl'.

Fans have protested the film on social media, with some vowing to boycott the film because they believe people should 'let her rest'.

Winehouse's grief-stricken friends have also spoken out, arguing that it is too early to make such a film, and accusing executives of not consulting them about her life.

One told The Mail on Sunday that they are also unhappy with Abel's casting because, despite the near-perfect wig she wears and the identical tattoos, they don't think she looks like the Rehab singer.

They have also raised concerns about Abela's social background with London-born Amy, who was known for her streetwise personality.