HBO Max‘s release of the David Bowie interpretive bio doc Moonage Daydream reminds us that the market leaders can spend big on Music:
- $25 million by Apple TV+ for Billie Eilish.
- $30 million by Disney+ for Elton John.
In this post, Camran Shealy updates her July 2022 profiles of commissions that feature musical celebrities and cultures.
The eight new projects that Camran covers below are: Moonage Daydream, DIO: Dreamers Never Die, the Untitled “Thriller” Documentary, Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me, Meet Me In The Bathroom, Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres, and This Much I Know to Be True.
by Camran Shealy
Moonage Daydream
Reminder: Who is David Bowie?
David Bowie’s first hit was the song “Space Oddity” in 1969. The original pop chameleon, Bowie became a fantastical sci-fi character for his breakout Ziggy Stardust album. He later co-wrote “Fame” with Carlos Alomar and John Lennon, which became his first American No. 1 single in 1975. An accomplished actor, Bowie starred in The Man Who Fell to Earth in 1976. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1996. Shortly after releasing his final album, Bowie died from cancer on January 10, 2016. –Biography.com
Commissioner
- HBO Max
Director
Production Companies
Executive Producers
Press Coverage
- ‘Moonage Daydream’ Trailer: David Bowie Documentary Boasts Psychedelic Reimagining of Out-of-This-World Talent
- Moonage Daydream: Everything We Know About the David Bowie Documentary
DIO: Dreamers Never Die
Reminder: Who is Ronnie James Dio?
Ronnie James Dio (born Ronald James Padavona, July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010) was an Italian American heavy metal vocalist and songwriter. He fronted numerous groups including Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, and his own band, Dio. He is credited with popularizing the “metal horns” hand gesture in metal culture and is known for his medieval themed lyrics. Dio sold over 47 million albums throughout his career. –Metal Wiki
Commissioner
- Independent
Directors
Production Companies
Executive Producers
Press Coverage
- Ronnie James DIO Documentary ‘DIO: Dreamers Never Die’ Set for Theatrical Release
- Official DIO Documentary DIO: Dreamers Never Die To Debut At SXSW
Untitled “Thriller” Documentary
Photo retrieved from Wikimedia Commons
Reminder: Who is Michael Jackson?
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, dancer, entertainer, and recording artist. Michael Jackson epitomized the era of pop in the 70s, 80s and 90s, earning himself the title the King of Pop. He remained a global icon until his untimely death in 2009. –Biography Online
Commissioner
- Sony Music Entertainment
Director
Executive Producers
- John Branca
- John McClain
Press Coverage
- Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ Is Getting An Official Making-Of Documentary
- Sony Music Entertainment sets plans for doc on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
- New Documentary to Give Inside Look into Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me
Reminder: Who is Selena Gomez?
Selena Marie Gomez, born July 22, 1992 is an American actress and singer. Gomez landed minor roles in several other TV programs, but it was her affiliation with the Disney Channel — who discovered her during a nationwide talent search in 2004 — that officially jump-started her acting career. Guest appearances on The Suite Life of Zach and Cody and Hannah Montana paved the way for Gomez’s own show, The Wizards of Waverly Place, which premiered in October 2007 and quickly became one of the network’s most popular programs. Gomez began juggling her commitment to The Wizards of Waverly Place with additional projects, including movie roles and a burgeoning singing career. –The Vogue
Commissioner
- Apple TV+
Director
Production Companies
Executive Producers
Press Coverage
- Selena Gomez’s ‘My Mind & Me’ Tops Apple TV’s Most Popular Releases: Here’s How to Watch the Documentary for Free
- Selena Gomez Wasn’t Sure She Was Ready To Tell This Story
Meet Me In The Bathroom
Synopsis
An immersive journey through the New York music scene of the early 2000s. A new generation kick-started a musical rebirth for New York City that reverberated around the world.
Commissioner
- Showtime
Directors
Production Companies
Executive Producers
Press Coverage
- ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’ Transports You to Post-9/11 New York City, Where Indie Rock Ruled
- 5 Takeaways From the Meet Me in the Bathroom Documentary
- ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’ Review: New York’s Last Rock Renaissance
Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres
Reminder: Who is Ben Fong-Torres?
Ben Fong-Torres joined Rolling Stone magazine as a news editor in 1969. His interview subjects included Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Bonnie Raitt, the Jackson 5, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Diamond, Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, the Grateful Dead, Ike & Tina Turner, Diane Keaton, and Steve Martin. The Ray Charles interview won the Deems Taylor Award for Magazine Writing in 1974. –benfongtorres.com
Acquired by
- Netflix (U.S. rights)
Director
Production Companies
Executive Producers
Press Coverage
- More Than Almost Famous: Rock Star Journalist Ben Fong-Torres Tells All
- Review: ‘Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres’ spotlights music scribe
- ‘It was more than rock ‘n roll’: Ben Fong-Torres on SF’s music heyday and ‘Like a Rolling Stone’
This Much I Know to Be True
Reminder: Who are Nick Cave and Warren Ellis?
Warren Ellis started playing with Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds in the mid 1990s. Ellis’ main band, the Dirty Three, were known for wild improvisational performances that injected a bit of punk rock radicalism into loosely structured instrumental music. Ellis added violin to the Bad Seeds albums, Let Love In (1994) and Murder Ballads (1996), but his first record as a full-time member was 1997’s Boatman’s Call—a classic, to be sure, but also one of Cave’s quieter outings. From that point onwards, Ellis would gradually rise to become Cave’s primary creative foil. He co-wrote various tracks on No More Shall We Part (2002) and the double album, Abattoir Blues/The Lyre of Orpheus (2004), before co-founding the comparatively carnal side project, Grinderman, with Cave, Bad Seeds bass player Martyn Casey and drummer Jim Sclavunos. –Augustus Welby, Rolling Stone
Commissioner
- Hulu
Director
Production Companies
Executive Producers
Press Coverage
- This Much I Know to Be True Review: Try a Little Unorthodox Tenderness
- ‘This Much I Know to Be True’ Review: Andrew Dominik’s Hypnotic and Haunting Nick Cave Performance Documentary
Images retrieved from IMDb.com
Read More
The documentary specials and series covered in Part 1 of Camran’s Music coverage (“$25 Million for Billy Eilish,” July 6, 2022) are…
- Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry
- Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
- The Lost Weekend: A Love Story
- Untitled Lizzo Documentary
- Little Richard: I Am Everything
- Halftime
- Nothing Compares
- Look At Me: XXXTentacion
- Machine Gun Kelly’s Life in Pink
- Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby
- Sheryl
Camran’s report includes brief explorations from Ed Hersh and myself on why the music genre is riding the wave. These themes are revealed in further depth in “The Beatles: Eight Days A Week”. The Fab 4 Archive Case Study for Sunny Side of the Doc.
Best Docs of 2022?
- What were the critics’ picks for Best Documentaries for 2022?
- Caitlin surveyed Variety, Deadline, Sundance and more to provide links to their selections.
- Read more here
