Original band members Frankie Valli and Bob Gaudio (who also composed the film's music) serve as executive producers.

In Belleville, New Jersey in 1951, Tommy DeVito performs together with his brother Nicky, and their friend Nick Massi, as The Variety Trio.

Frankie has the admiration of Genovese Family mobster Angelo "Gyp" DeCarlo, who takes a personal interest in him.

Tommy's friend, Joe Pesci, tells him about a talented singer-songwriter, Bob Gaudio, and invites him to hear the group perform.

Inspired by a bowling alley sign, the band is renamed "The Four Seasons," and they sing a new song Gaudio has written, "Sherry", to Crewe, who agrees to record it.

"Sherry" quickly becomes a commercial success, followed by two more, "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Walk Like a Man".

However, before an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Valli is approached by mobster Norman Waxman, a loan shark for one of the other Five Families, who claims that Tommy owes him $150,000.

Having to tour constantly to pay off the debt, the band hires a set of studio musicians, and becomes Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, with Gaudio now acting solely as songwriter and producer.

Valli learns from his now ex-wife, Mary, that his daughter, Francine, now a drug addict, has escaped from home.

[22] However, in November 2012, it was reported that Warner Bros. had put the film in turnaround;[23][24] Despite this in May 2013, Frankie Valli noted that production was still underway.

[27] Although Eastwood enjoyed the script, he asked for a rewrite, noting that the version "was missing a lot of things."

Eastwood noted that he was pressured to cast more famous leads; however, he refused, stating, "You've got people who've done 1,200 performances; how much better can you know a character?".

Gaudio acknowledged that the narrative in Jersey Boys juxtaposes two different timelines, hence why Francine's age jumps from a child to a teenager to a young adult at the time of her death.

[34] Brickman and Elice moved the arrest to Cleveland as artistic license, tying the event that began the group's fall from grace to their reunion at the Hall of Fame 25 years later.

[34] Devito himself denied virtually all of the claims made by Nick Massi in the film (and musical) about Tommy's underwear habits, towel usage, and an incident where he allegedly urinated in the sink, saying "I was probably the cleanest guy there.

[34] Contrary to the film's suggestion that he was forced out by the Mafia, Devito blamed things such as excessive travel and changing clothes three times a day (a line included in Massi's rant) for his departure.

[34] Brickman and Elice insisted that DeCarlo had made the suggestion that DeVito not resettle in New Jersey after his buyout.

[34] The character of Barry Belson, who appears in only one scene giving the group its breakthrough radio airplay, was based on Joey Reynolds, who had introduced "Sherry" while working at WPOP in Hartford, Connecticut.

The site's critics consensus reads: "Jersey Boys is neither as inventive nor as energetic as it could be, but there's no denying the powerful pleasures of its musical moments.

[47] In its opening weekend, the film grossed $13.3 million, finishing in fourth place at the box office.