Willie Nelson is participating in a docuseries about his life, “Willie Nelson and Family,” with production said to be already “well underway” on the project from Blackbird Presents and Sight Unseen Pictures. The co-directors of the “definitive” multi-part series are Thom Zimny, best known as Bruce Springsteen’s regular filmic collaborator, and Emmy winner and Oscar nominee Oren Moverman.
Nelson, 88, is described as an enthusiastic participant in the project, opening up exclusive access to his archives and encouraging friends and family to take part in a series that’s already been filming in Austin, Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and Maui.
The country music icon’s manager, Mark Rothbaum, developed the project in collaboration with Keith Wortman, the founder-ceo of Blackbird Presents.
The latter company specializes in films and TV shows about music legends and in recent years has produced projects for or about artists like Merle Haggard, Gregg Allman,...
Nelson, 88, is described as an enthusiastic participant in the project, opening up exclusive access to his archives and encouraging friends and family to take part in a series that’s already been filming in Austin, Nashville, Los Angeles, New York and Maui.
The country music icon’s manager, Mark Rothbaum, developed the project in collaboration with Keith Wortman, the founder-ceo of Blackbird Presents.
The latter company specializes in films and TV shows about music legends and in recent years has produced projects for or about artists like Merle Haggard, Gregg Allman,...
- 7/27/2021
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
More than a dozen of music’s biggest stars, from Beyoncé to H.E.R., would love an Emmy to add to their award shelves.
A Variety review of the 535 entries throughout the Television Academy’s seven music categories reveals a surprising number of A-list singers, songwriters and music directors apparently eager for TV’s top honor. Among them:
H.E.R. (with Josiah Bassey) is entered for original song for “Hold Us Together” from the Disney Plus movie “Safety.” She won the Oscar earlier this year and already has four Grammys, so an Emmy win would put her three-fourths of the way to a fabled Egot. Beyoncé is entered for music direction and original song (both with Derek Dixie) for “Black Is King,” her musical film companion to “The Lion King” (also on Disney Plus). The song “Black Parade” won her a Grammy earlier this year for best R&b performance.
A Variety review of the 535 entries throughout the Television Academy’s seven music categories reveals a surprising number of A-list singers, songwriters and music directors apparently eager for TV’s top honor. Among them:
H.E.R. (with Josiah Bassey) is entered for original song for “Hold Us Together” from the Disney Plus movie “Safety.” She won the Oscar earlier this year and already has four Grammys, so an Emmy win would put her three-fourths of the way to a fabled Egot. Beyoncé is entered for music direction and original song (both with Derek Dixie) for “Black Is King,” her musical film companion to “The Lion King” (also on Disney Plus). The song “Black Parade” won her a Grammy earlier this year for best R&b performance.
- 6/22/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Apple Original Films has greenlit the Louis Armstrong documentary “Black & Blues: The Colorful Ballad of Louis Armstrong.”
The documentary will examine Armstrong’s life and legacy as a founding father of jazz, the first pop star and a cultural ambassador of the United States. Additionally, Jenkins’ film aims to unscramble the misconception that the New Orleans trumpeter didn’t do enough to support the Civil Rights Movement.
Produced under Apple’s first-look agreement with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Documentaries, the film will be directed by Sacha Jenkins.
With the full support of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, the filmmakers were granted access to a wide array of never-before-seen archival materials including hundreds of hours of audio recordings, film footage, photographs and personal diaries.
“Black & Blues: The Colorful Ballad of Louis Armstrong” will join Apple TV Plus’ expanding library of award-winning documentaries and docuseries, including “Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You,...
The documentary will examine Armstrong’s life and legacy as a founding father of jazz, the first pop star and a cultural ambassador of the United States. Additionally, Jenkins’ film aims to unscramble the misconception that the New Orleans trumpeter didn’t do enough to support the Civil Rights Movement.
Produced under Apple’s first-look agreement with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Documentaries, the film will be directed by Sacha Jenkins.
With the full support of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, the filmmakers were granted access to a wide array of never-before-seen archival materials including hundreds of hours of audio recordings, film footage, photographs and personal diaries.
“Black & Blues: The Colorful Ballad of Louis Armstrong” will join Apple TV Plus’ expanding library of award-winning documentaries and docuseries, including “Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You,...
- 4/13/2021
- by Antonio Ferme
- Variety Film + TV
Director Thom Zimny has become Bruce Springsteen’s historian of sorts at a time when the veteran rocker is increasingly willing to engage with his own history. In a string of films beginning with “The Promise” in 2010 and more recently including “Western Stars,” the filmed version of “Springsteen on Broadway” and now the new documentary “Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You,” Zimny has showcased both Springsteen’s performances and his ruminations on his life and career.
“Letter to You,” which will premiere on Friday on Apple TV+ to coincide with the release of the album of the same name, marks the first time that Zimny took his cameras into the recording studio with Springsteen, who made the album in four days last fall with the musicians in his E Street Band. Spurred in part by the death of George Theis, who recruited a teenage Springsteen into his first band, the Castiles,...
“Letter to You,” which will premiere on Friday on Apple TV+ to coincide with the release of the album of the same name, marks the first time that Zimny took his cameras into the recording studio with Springsteen, who made the album in four days last fall with the musicians in his E Street Band. Spurred in part by the death of George Theis, who recruited a teenage Springsteen into his first band, the Castiles,...
- 10/22/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
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