As a child of the 1980s, I thought I knew pretty much everything I needed to know about Wham!, just as I thought I had a pretty good handle on the behind the scenes of the late-night all-star recording of “We Are the World.” But maybe that’s why I enjoyed the docs “Wham!” and “The Greatest Night in Pop” so much — a mix of the familiar with those moments of surprise.
In the case of “Wham!,” it’s how Andrew Ridgeley managed to be so gracious as his buddy George Michael went on to a massively successful solo career. In “The Greatest Night in Pop,” I learned just how instrumental Lionel Richie was in serving as traffic cop for producer Quincy Jones in creating “We Are The World” with dozens of A-list musicians over just one late night. The doc is filled with legend-help-legend moments, like when Stevie Wonder...
In the case of “Wham!,” it’s how Andrew Ridgeley managed to be so gracious as his buddy George Michael went on to a massively successful solo career. In “The Greatest Night in Pop,” I learned just how instrumental Lionel Richie was in serving as traffic cop for producer Quincy Jones in creating “We Are The World” with dozens of A-list musicians over just one late night. The doc is filled with legend-help-legend moments, like when Stevie Wonder...
- 5/31/2024
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
We will update this article throughout the season, along with all our predictions, so make sure to keep checking IndieWire for the latest news from the 2024 Emmys race. The nomination round of voting takes place from June 13 to June 24, with the official Emmy nominations announced Wednesday, July 17. Afterwards, final voting commences on August 15 and ends the night of August 26. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, September 15, and air live on ABC at 8:00 p.m. Et/ 5:00 p.m. Pt.
The State of the Race
Interestingly enough, film festivals have begun to play a role in the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special Emmy race as much as they do with the Best Documentary Feature Oscar race. For instance, three out of five of the last winners premiered at the annual Sundance Film Festival—the same festival some of this year’s biggest contenders premiered at.
The State of the Race
Interestingly enough, film festivals have begun to play a role in the Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special Emmy race as much as they do with the Best Documentary Feature Oscar race. For instance, three out of five of the last winners premiered at the annual Sundance Film Festival—the same festival some of this year’s biggest contenders premiered at.
- 5/30/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Republic Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to Millers in Marriage, a new film written, directed by and starring Edward Burns (The Brothers McMullen).
Details as to the release plan haven’t been disclosed. The starry ensemble also includes Julianna Margulies (The Morning Show), Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire), Minnie Driver (The Serpent Queen), Morena Baccarin (Deadpool), Benjamin Bratt (Mother of the Bride), Campbell Scott (Dying Young), Brian d’Arcy James (Spotlight) and Patrick Wilson (Insidious franchise).
Millers in Marriage follows Eve Miller (Mol), the former lead singer-songwriter of an indie rock band, who finds herself drawn to a music journalist (Bratt) amid a toxic marriage. Meanwhile, Eve’s sister Maggie (Margulies), a bestselling author, is encountering challenges in her marriage of 30 years as her career surpasses her husband’s. At the same time, Renee (Driver), a recently divorced successful fashion executive, is navigating a budding relationship with Andy Miller (Burns), an artist...
Details as to the release plan haven’t been disclosed. The starry ensemble also includes Julianna Margulies (The Morning Show), Gretchen Mol (Boardwalk Empire), Minnie Driver (The Serpent Queen), Morena Baccarin (Deadpool), Benjamin Bratt (Mother of the Bride), Campbell Scott (Dying Young), Brian d’Arcy James (Spotlight) and Patrick Wilson (Insidious franchise).
Millers in Marriage follows Eve Miller (Mol), the former lead singer-songwriter of an indie rock band, who finds herself drawn to a music journalist (Bratt) amid a toxic marriage. Meanwhile, Eve’s sister Maggie (Margulies), a bestselling author, is encountering challenges in her marriage of 30 years as her career surpasses her husband’s. At the same time, Renee (Driver), a recently divorced successful fashion executive, is navigating a budding relationship with Andy Miller (Burns), an artist...
- 5/30/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Beach Boys (Disney+)
This documentary follows the group’s family beginnings as their songs epitomizing the California dream drive their rising fame. It features never-before-seen footage and interviews with resident Beach Boys erratic genius Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks and Bruce Johnston and includes input from Janelle Monáe, Lindsey Buckingham, Ryan Tedder and Don Was. The Beach Boys was directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny and written by Mark Monroe.
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
On Jan. 25, 1985, a group of music icons got together to create the renowned pop song “We Are the World.” This film, directed by Bao Nguyen, features new interviews with many of the artists involved in the making of the song, including Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis, Dionne Warwick and Cyndi Lauper. The anthem was written by Richie and Michael Jackson for African famine relief and also features Kenny Rogers,...
This documentary follows the group’s family beginnings as their songs epitomizing the California dream drive their rising fame. It features never-before-seen footage and interviews with resident Beach Boys erratic genius Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks and Bruce Johnston and includes input from Janelle Monáe, Lindsey Buckingham, Ryan Tedder and Don Was. The Beach Boys was directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny and written by Mark Monroe.
The Greatest Night in Pop (Netflix)
On Jan. 25, 1985, a group of music icons got together to create the renowned pop song “We Are the World.” This film, directed by Bao Nguyen, features new interviews with many of the artists involved in the making of the song, including Lionel Richie, Bruce Springsteen, Huey Lewis, Dionne Warwick and Cyndi Lauper. The anthem was written by Richie and Michael Jackson for African famine relief and also features Kenny Rogers,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When you sit down to watch a documentary about the Beach Boys, you know what you want: to be immersed in the California dreamin’ of the group’s early surfin’-hit days, in the jaunty beauty of songs like “I Get Around” and “Help Me Rhonda” and “All Summer Long,” and in the story of how Brian Wilson began to figure out a way to turn pop songs into miniature symphonies. You want to be immersed in the recording of “Pet Sounds,” in the Beach Boys’ rivalry with the Beatles, in the derailed masterpiece that was “Smile,” and in how Brian’s mental and emotional problems began to tear himself and the group apart. You want to know how the other Beach Boys, caught in the wilderness, found a way to put the group back together, though it’s almost like they became a different group. You want to see...
- 5/25/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Gaga Chromatica Ball, Star Wars: The Acolyte and The Garfield Movie.
The Garfield Movie premiere
Chris Pratt and Hannah Waddingham premiered their new Garfield movie in Hollywood on Sunday, as the iconic cat also had his paws immortalized in cement in front of the Tcl Chinese Theatre.
Hannah Waddingham, Chris Pratt and Garfield creator Jim Davis Danielle Misher (co-head, global theatrical marketing, Sony Pictures Entertainment), Josh Greenstein (president, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group), Andrew A. Kosove (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment) and Broderick Johnson (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment)
Gaga Chromatica Ball premiere
Lady Gaga, appearing in two show-stopping looks, walked the red carpet and sat for a Q&a at the world premiere of her HBO concert special in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Lady Gaga
Star Wars: The Acolyte...
The Garfield Movie premiere
Chris Pratt and Hannah Waddingham premiered their new Garfield movie in Hollywood on Sunday, as the iconic cat also had his paws immortalized in cement in front of the Tcl Chinese Theatre.
Hannah Waddingham, Chris Pratt and Garfield creator Jim Davis Danielle Misher (co-head, global theatrical marketing, Sony Pictures Entertainment), Josh Greenstein (president, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Motion Picture Group), Andrew A. Kosove (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment) and Broderick Johnson (co-ceo, co-founder, Alcon Entertainment)
Gaga Chromatica Ball premiere
Lady Gaga, appearing in two show-stopping looks, walked the red carpet and sat for a Q&a at the world premiere of her HBO concert special in Los Angeles on Thursday.
Lady Gaga
Star Wars: The Acolyte...
- 5/24/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Earlier this month, Trev Lukather and Nic Collins’ new band the Effect released their version of Journey’s 1986 deep cut “It Could Have Been You” — featuring new vocals by Steve Perry. When Rolling Stone hopped on Zoom to hear how the song came together, Perry told us that he has other projects in the works.
“I just signed with a new label,” Perry says. “I’m very excited about it, and I’ll have an opportunity very soon to work with these very, very musically creative people. I’ll probably...
“I just signed with a new label,” Perry says. “I’m very excited about it, and I’ll have an opportunity very soon to work with these very, very musically creative people. I’ll probably...
- 5/16/2024
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
Glory days are ahead at Disney.
Disney on Tuesday, during its upfront presentation to Madison Avenue ad buyers, announced that concert documentary film Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band would stream on both Disney+ and Hulu at a date to be determined in October.
The film, which is described as being the “most in-depth look” at how the band prepares for live performances, will feature unprecedented behind the scenes access to their 2023-24 world tour.
Longtime Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny (Springsteen on Broadway) directed the doc and exec produces alongside Springsteen, Adrienne Gerard and Sean Stuart.
Road Diary is the latest music special to come to streaming as docs in the space continue to appeal to diehard fans of some of the biggest bands and singers. Netflix found success with The Greatest Night in Pop (focused on USA for Africa’s “We Are the World”) and Disney...
Disney on Tuesday, during its upfront presentation to Madison Avenue ad buyers, announced that concert documentary film Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band would stream on both Disney+ and Hulu at a date to be determined in October.
The film, which is described as being the “most in-depth look” at how the band prepares for live performances, will feature unprecedented behind the scenes access to their 2023-24 world tour.
Longtime Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny (Springsteen on Broadway) directed the doc and exec produces alongside Springsteen, Adrienne Gerard and Sean Stuart.
Road Diary is the latest music special to come to streaming as docs in the space continue to appeal to diehard fans of some of the biggest bands and singers. Netflix found success with The Greatest Night in Pop (focused on USA for Africa’s “We Are the World”) and Disney...
- 5/14/2024
- by Lesley Goldberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Let the Canary Sing, a new documentary about the life of pop icon Cyndi Lauper, has received a release date and trailer. Get the first look below.
The project, which explores the decades-spanning career of the hitmaker, will hit Paramount+ on June 4th. The feature-length effort was directed by Alison Ellwood, whose previous work includes documentaries about The Go-Gos and the music scene of Laurel Canyon in the 1970s.
In the trailer, archival footage from Lauper’s life is intercut with audio from some of her hits, including “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time After Time,” along with interviews with fellow artists like Billy Porter and Patti Labelle.
Speaking about the documentary, Lauper shared, “Over the years I’ve been asked to do a documentary about my life and work, but it never felt like the right time. Until now. When I first met Alison Ellwood, I knew right...
The project, which explores the decades-spanning career of the hitmaker, will hit Paramount+ on June 4th. The feature-length effort was directed by Alison Ellwood, whose previous work includes documentaries about The Go-Gos and the music scene of Laurel Canyon in the 1970s.
In the trailer, archival footage from Lauper’s life is intercut with audio from some of her hits, including “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time After Time,” along with interviews with fellow artists like Billy Porter and Patti Labelle.
Speaking about the documentary, Lauper shared, “Over the years I’ve been asked to do a documentary about my life and work, but it never felt like the right time. Until now. When I first met Alison Ellwood, I knew right...
- 5/7/2024
- by Mary Siroky
- Consequence - Film News
Let the Canary Sing, a new documentary about the life of pop icon Cyndi Lauper, has received a release date and trailer. Get the first look below.
The project, which explores the decades-spanning career of the hitmaker, will hit Paramount+ on June 4th. The feature-length effort was directed by Alison Ellwood, whose previous work includes documentaries about The Go-Gos and the music scene of Laurel Canyon in the 1970s.
In the trailer, archival footage from Lauper’s life is intercut with audio from some of her hits, including “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time After Time,” along with interviews with fellow artists like Billy Porter and Patti Labelle.
Speaking about the documentary, Lauper shared, “Over the years I’ve been asked to do a documentary about my life and work, but it never felt like the right time. Until now. When I first met Alison Ellwood, I knew right...
The project, which explores the decades-spanning career of the hitmaker, will hit Paramount+ on June 4th. The feature-length effort was directed by Alison Ellwood, whose previous work includes documentaries about The Go-Gos and the music scene of Laurel Canyon in the 1970s.
In the trailer, archival footage from Lauper’s life is intercut with audio from some of her hits, including “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and “Time After Time,” along with interviews with fellow artists like Billy Porter and Patti Labelle.
Speaking about the documentary, Lauper shared, “Over the years I’ve been asked to do a documentary about my life and work, but it never felt like the right time. Until now. When I first met Alison Ellwood, I knew right...
- 5/7/2024
- by Mary Siroky
- Consequence - Music
Exclusive: Paramount+ has acquired the Cyndi Lauper documentary Let the Canary Sing and has set the premiere date for June 4 in the U.S. and Canada; the UK, Australia, Latin America, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland and Austria can watch a day later.
Deadline has your first look at the trailer above.
Additionally, a companion album of the same name will be released by Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment. Tracks include many of her songs from her days in Blue Angel to her breakout single “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” to “True Colors” and “I Drove All Night,” to name a few.
Directed by Emmy Award-winning documentarian Alison Ellwood, Let the Canary Sing “chronicles Lauper’s meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact on generations through her music, ever-evolving punk style, unwavering feminism and tireless advocacy. The documentary takes the audience on an engaging...
Deadline has your first look at the trailer above.
Additionally, a companion album of the same name will be released by Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment. Tracks include many of her songs from her days in Blue Angel to her breakout single “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” to “True Colors” and “I Drove All Night,” to name a few.
Directed by Emmy Award-winning documentarian Alison Ellwood, Let the Canary Sing “chronicles Lauper’s meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact on generations through her music, ever-evolving punk style, unwavering feminism and tireless advocacy. The documentary takes the audience on an engaging...
- 5/7/2024
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
This is not the documentary renaissance we hoped for. Despite its 2023 Oscar win for “Navalny,” CNN pulled back on non-fiction production. Non-fiction programming at Showtime Networks, which produced Oscar-nominated “Attica” in 2022, is no more.
“The New York Times Presents” series, which produced titles like “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” and “Framing Britney Spears,” is being phased out in favor of integrating non-fiction video into the media brand. Hot Docs is on the ropes; Participant, which produced documentaries like “An Inconvenient Truth,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” and “American Factory,” closed last month.
And then there’s Netflix, which is still very much in the documentary game under Adam Del Deo, Netflix VP of original documentary films and limited series — and can afford to be with nearly 270 million global subscribers. However, it’s a specific sort of gameplay: For tight, high-quality nonfiction work that’s heartwarming, or thrilling, or stars a celebrity,...
“The New York Times Presents” series, which produced titles like “The Killing of Breonna Taylor” and “Framing Britney Spears,” is being phased out in favor of integrating non-fiction video into the media brand. Hot Docs is on the ropes; Participant, which produced documentaries like “An Inconvenient Truth,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” and “American Factory,” closed last month.
And then there’s Netflix, which is still very much in the documentary game under Adam Del Deo, Netflix VP of original documentary films and limited series — and can afford to be with nearly 270 million global subscribers. However, it’s a specific sort of gameplay: For tight, high-quality nonfiction work that’s heartwarming, or thrilling, or stars a celebrity,...
- 5/6/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Netflix is marking the sixth anniversary of its flagship Fysee space by moving to Sunset Las Palmas in Los Angeles, starting on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12.
The streaming giant kicked off the announcement using a crown-themed cake—nodding to its Emmy-winning series, “The Crown”—to entice Television Academy voters to visit its huge slate of top-contending series. The Fysee space serves as a hub for Official For Your Consideration (FYC) events, showcasing an array of Netflix’s leading award contenders across various genres, including the drama “3 Body Problem,” the comedy “The Gentlemen,” the limited series “Ripley” and reality shows like “Love is Blind” and “Selling Sunset.” The beloved music documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop” will be featured in a conversation moderated by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
The venue will feature special installations focusing on the crafts behind series such as “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and other documentary efforts including “Beckham.
The streaming giant kicked off the announcement using a crown-themed cake—nodding to its Emmy-winning series, “The Crown”—to entice Television Academy voters to visit its huge slate of top-contending series. The Fysee space serves as a hub for Official For Your Consideration (FYC) events, showcasing an array of Netflix’s leading award contenders across various genres, including the drama “3 Body Problem,” the comedy “The Gentlemen,” the limited series “Ripley” and reality shows like “Love is Blind” and “Selling Sunset.” The beloved music documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop” will be featured in a conversation moderated by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
The venue will feature special installations focusing on the crafts behind series such as “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and other documentary efforts including “Beckham.
- 5/1/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
While we absolutely love scripted movies and television here at /Film, we also have a deep appreciation for documentaries — series and films alike. With so many streaming services available, it feels like there are more documentaries out there than ever before, which can make finding the right one to watch a bit intimidating. Thankfully, I'm here to help recommend some of the best docs streaming this May, from remastered versions of music classics like "Stop Making Sense" and "Let it Be" to new docs with a fresh perspective, like the shocking "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" and "Stormy." There has honestly been a massive influx of showbiz docs lately, with a couple more great ones dropping fresh this month. The entertainment industry has always been rife with controversy and chaos, so there's sure to be no end of these docs anytime soon. Still, this latest crop is a real doozy.
- 5/1/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
After revealing behind the scenes details about how he helped bring an all-star group of musicians together to make the Grammy-winning smash hit charity single “We Are the World” in the Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop,” Lionel Richie recently spoke to IndieWire about which of the participants he knows have watched the movie, and are still reeling from the down-to-the-wire recording session.
“Huey Lewis sat next to me while I’m watching the premiere, and he leaned over to me, and he said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to make it,’” the “American Idol” judge said at an event celebrating the reveal of the current season’s Top 10 finalists. “I said, ‘Huey, it’s 39 years ago. It’s been a success.’ But how we set it up, he was a nervous wreck.”
Richie, who both produced the Sundance premiere directed by Bao Nguyen, and appears heavily in the film,...
“Huey Lewis sat next to me while I’m watching the premiere, and he leaned over to me, and he said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to make it,’” the “American Idol” judge said at an event celebrating the reveal of the current season’s Top 10 finalists. “I said, ‘Huey, it’s 39 years ago. It’s been a success.’ But how we set it up, he was a nervous wreck.”
Richie, who both produced the Sundance premiere directed by Bao Nguyen, and appears heavily in the film,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Inside Broadway’s James Earl Jones Theatre on a recent afternoon, Huey Lewis has some actual good news. Checking his texts, he learns that Martin Short will be attending the opening of The Heart of Rock and Roll, the rom-com musical based around songs from his catalog. Also on the list for the first-night celebration are Michael J. Fox and the members of Lewis’ band, the News.
But anyone expecting Lewis to jump onstage and join the cast in song will be disappointed. “Can’t do it,” he says resolutely.
But anyone expecting Lewis to jump onstage and join the cast in song will be disappointed. “Can’t do it,” he says resolutely.
- 4/5/2024
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Los Angeles, California – January 29: Lionel Richie attends “The Greatest Night in Pop” Los Angeles Screening at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on January 29, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix) It’s not surprising that Netflix’s We Are the World behind-the-scenes documentary is called The Greatest Night in Pop, because nothing even remotely close to it had happened before, and it certainly hasn’t been duplicated. The night of January 28, 1985 brought together dozens of music’s biggest stars at the legendary A&m Recording Studios in Hollywood, and the song itself celebrates the 39th anniversary. Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the song with Michael Jackson and played a big role in organizing the recording session, spoke about why he doesn’t think there will ever be another night like it. (Click on the media bar below to hear Lionel Richie) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads...
- 3/11/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Netflix’s Griselda spent a second week as the top streaming title in the United States, according to Nielsen. It was one of three shows to snag more than a billion minutes of watch time for the week of Jan. 29-Feb. 4.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith also had a solid start for Amazon’s Prime Video, coming in just below the billion-minute mark. HBO’s True Detective also joined the rankings as it reached the midpoint of its fourth season.
Griselda, starring Sofia Vergara as the notorious drug lord, grabbed 1.73 billion minutes of viewing for the week, up about 9 percent from the previous seven days. The other two billion-minute shows were Young Sheldon (1.31 billion minutes on Netflix and Max) and Bluey (1.15 billion on Disney+).
Mr. and Mrs. Smith, starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, rang up 964 million minutes of watch time over three days after its Feb. 2 premiere (the full season...
Mr. and Mrs. Smith also had a solid start for Amazon’s Prime Video, coming in just below the billion-minute mark. HBO’s True Detective also joined the rankings as it reached the midpoint of its fourth season.
Griselda, starring Sofia Vergara as the notorious drug lord, grabbed 1.73 billion minutes of viewing for the week, up about 9 percent from the previous seven days. The other two billion-minute shows were Young Sheldon (1.31 billion minutes on Netflix and Max) and Bluey (1.15 billion on Disney+).
Mr. and Mrs. Smith, starring Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, rang up 964 million minutes of watch time over three days after its Feb. 2 premiere (the full season...
- 2/29/2024
- by Rick Porter
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Photograph by courtesy of Netflix After the American Music Awards wrapped its live show in Hollywood in 1985, many of the artists honored that night — and plenty who didn’t win — wound up at the ultimate after-party. But it wasn’t at a restaurant or a club — it was at the famed A&M Studios on La Brea Avenue, where dozens of the most famous pop stars on the planet gathered for the recording of the charity single, We Are the World. Lionel Richie, who co-wrote the song with Michael Jackson, was there on the historic night; at the time, though, he didn’t realize there was a camera crew capturing behind-the-scenes footage for future use. It’s taken nearly four decades, but we’re finally seeing the fruits of that footage, as a Netflix documentary called The Greatest Night in Pop. Richie told us he was amazed to see what they’d captured,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Griselda, the limited series starring and executive produced by Sofía Vergara, spent its third week atop the English TV list. It dropped to 10.3M views, from its previous week’s 20.6 million, but was still far ahead of No. 2., Season 1 of The Tourist, which moved from Max to Netflix in the U.S., with 6.8M views. One Day, the limited series starring Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall, adapted from David Nicholls’ romance novel that was previously adapted as a movie, debuted in third place with 5.3M views. Netflix says it reached the Top 10 in 75 countries.
Back on the list for the week of Feb. 5-Feb. 11, are the docuseries Alexander: The Making of a God at #3 (3.5M views), Harlan Coben’s crime thriller Fool Me Once at #5 (3.3M views), true crime docuseries American Nightmare at #6 (3M views) and Season 2 of Love on the Spectrum US at #10 (1.2M views).
At the top of...
Back on the list for the week of Feb. 5-Feb. 11, are the docuseries Alexander: The Making of a God at #3 (3.5M views), Harlan Coben’s crime thriller Fool Me Once at #5 (3.3M views), true crime docuseries American Nightmare at #6 (3M views) and Season 2 of Love on the Spectrum US at #10 (1.2M views).
At the top of...
- 2/13/2024
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“Wonka” reigns again on the VOD charts, but the week’s real star is Amazon/MGM’s “American Fiction.” Driven by its five Oscar nominations and continued success at the box office, it reached #2 at Apple TV/iTunes on Saturday and is currently #4. Not bad for a racial satire that’s grossed $17 million to date.
It suggests the film will earn substantially more than its theatrical take, reflecting smart strategy: While Amazon makes movies for streaming, it recognizes (like Apple) the value of making VOD its first at-home platform. It’s also a good argument that the Netflix Mo of deemphasizing theatrical and skipping VOD misses opportunities to get awards and audience traction.
“Oppenheimer” (Universal) repeats as #2 on two charts, though its reduced price keeps it from making Vudu revenue-driven list. Christopher Nolan’s Oscar frontrunner has been the strongest film since its home-viewing debut three months ago, now sustained by Oscar nomination-leading total.
It suggests the film will earn substantially more than its theatrical take, reflecting smart strategy: While Amazon makes movies for streaming, it recognizes (like Apple) the value of making VOD its first at-home platform. It’s also a good argument that the Netflix Mo of deemphasizing theatrical and skipping VOD misses opportunities to get awards and audience traction.
“Oppenheimer” (Universal) repeats as #2 on two charts, though its reduced price keeps it from making Vudu revenue-driven list. Christopher Nolan’s Oscar frontrunner has been the strongest film since its home-viewing debut three months ago, now sustained by Oscar nomination-leading total.
- 2/12/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
When Quincy Jones posted a sign above the entrance to Am Studios in Los Angeles that read “Check Your Ego at the Door,” the night the producer and a group of 40 or so of the biggest singers of the ‘80s recorded the charity anthem “We are the World.”
It wasn’t exactly foolproof.
“The egos were still there; let’s not pretend they weren’t there,” says Kenny Loggins in the documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, now streaming on Netflix.
The Bao Nguyen film, which made its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of how the single that raised more than $80 million ($214 million today) for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States came to be, with commentary from entertainers such as Loggins, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Sheila E., Huey Lewis, and the key orchestrator who co-wrote the song with Michael Jackson and kept the...
It wasn’t exactly foolproof.
“The egos were still there; let’s not pretend they weren’t there,” says Kenny Loggins in the documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, now streaming on Netflix.
The Bao Nguyen film, which made its world premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of how the single that raised more than $80 million ($214 million today) for humanitarian aid in Africa and the United States came to be, with commentary from entertainers such as Loggins, Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Sheila E., Huey Lewis, and the key orchestrator who co-wrote the song with Michael Jackson and kept the...
- 2/10/2024
- by Brande Victorian
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Editor’s note: If you have watched the Netflix docu The Greatest Night in Pop, you saw the 40 biggest singers of the ’80s break into a spontaneous chorus of “Day-o” in tribute to Harry Belafonte for organizing the “We Are the World” global fundraiser that raised over $60 million to save starving, famine-stricken African families. So you understand why the late singer/activist/actor’s daughters were disappointed when an In Memoriam segment on the Grammys flashed his photo but omitted him from a special section honoring the giants. Here, daughter Shari reminds why her father meant so much to the world, and music.
Related: Harry Belafonte Dies: Actor, Singer & Civil Rights Icon Was 96
Being a woman of color and having been in the entertainment business literally All of my life, I’ve witnessed and have been exposed to many instances of what one would call “unjustified treatment.” But, don’t...
Related: Harry Belafonte Dies: Actor, Singer & Civil Rights Icon Was 96
Being a woman of color and having been in the entertainment business literally All of my life, I’ve witnessed and have been exposed to many instances of what one would call “unjustified treatment.” But, don’t...
- 2/9/2024
- by Shari Belafonte
- Deadline Film + TV
Until recently, the oldest entertainment program known to survive on color videotape was NBC’s An Evening with Fred Astaire, broadcast live on October 17, 1958.
But now, a rare color videotape of the Kraft Music Hall Starring Milton Berle that predates the Astaire special by nine days has been discovered. The tape will be shown at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Westwood on Saturday, February 24th at 7:30 Pm in a program that is free and open to the public.
“The Berle Kraft tape is the oldest known color videotape of an entertainment program,” said Mark Quigley, the John H. Mitchell Television Curator at the UCLA Film & Television Archive. “Entertainment” is a key distinction. The oldest known color tape is of the NBC Washington studios dedication ceremony on 05-22-1958.
“With the introduction of videotape technology in the broadcast industry starting in 1956, one of...
But now, a rare color videotape of the Kraft Music Hall Starring Milton Berle that predates the Astaire special by nine days has been discovered. The tape will be shown at the Billy Wilder Theater at the Hammer Museum in Westwood on Saturday, February 24th at 7:30 Pm in a program that is free and open to the public.
“The Berle Kraft tape is the oldest known color videotape of an entertainment program,” said Mark Quigley, the John H. Mitchell Television Curator at the UCLA Film & Television Archive. “Entertainment” is a key distinction. The oldest known color tape is of the NBC Washington studios dedication ceremony on 05-22-1958.
“With the introduction of videotape technology in the broadcast industry starting in 1956, one of...
- 2/9/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Top to bottom: Love Me (Sundance Institute), Will & Harper (Sundance Institute), The Bikeriders (Focus Features)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Another year of Sundance is now in the books, and while there may not have been any obvious breakout films along the lines of last year’s Past Lives, the range,...
Another year of Sundance is now in the books, and while there may not have been any obvious breakout films along the lines of last year’s Past Lives, the range,...
- 2/8/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Seconds after Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson entered the holding room where presenters and performers at Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy gala were to take this picture, someone became starstruck — but who that was might surprise you.
“It’s Jelly Roll!” Wilson shouted excitedly as she saw the Grammy-nominated singer-rapper. But the feeling was mutual, as Jelly Roll later murmured, if only to himself, about the surrealness of the moment. He was standing in proximity to Hanks and Wilson as Dionne Warwick sat nearby and members of Green Day were hanging out while everyone waited for one of music’s greatest architects — Davis himself — to arrive.
The interaction was just one of several “pinch-me” moments as the likes of The Isley Brothers, Maluma, Josh Groban, Lainey Wilson and many more came together to take a snapshot with Davis and commemorate the night of amazing music that was to come at the legendary party,...
“It’s Jelly Roll!” Wilson shouted excitedly as she saw the Grammy-nominated singer-rapper. But the feeling was mutual, as Jelly Roll later murmured, if only to himself, about the surrealness of the moment. He was standing in proximity to Hanks and Wilson as Dionne Warwick sat nearby and members of Green Day were hanging out while everyone waited for one of music’s greatest architects — Davis himself — to arrive.
The interaction was just one of several “pinch-me” moments as the likes of The Isley Brothers, Maluma, Josh Groban, Lainey Wilson and many more came together to take a snapshot with Davis and commemorate the night of amazing music that was to come at the legendary party,...
- 2/7/2024
- by Nekesa Mumbi Moody
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix’s Global Top 10 Films: From Lift To The Super Mario Bros Movie, See The Full List! ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
After being on the list of Netflix’s Top 10 Films for ten weeks, the animated movie Leo is one more on it! The latest list sees some new entries, with The Super Mario Bros Movie still hanging in there. Lift has been dethroned from its #1 position to #3. The streaming platform is here with the report card for the week of January 29-February 4. Scroll below to find out which films are keeping the subscribers busy.
Netflix brings out the Global Top 10 list for TV shows in English and non-English and films in English and non-English. They tally the number of views a movie receives and the number of hours the subscribers spend on them. The process is the same for TV shows. We will be covering the TV Shows in a separate article.
After being on the list of Netflix’s Top 10 Films for ten weeks, the animated movie Leo is one more on it! The latest list sees some new entries, with The Super Mario Bros Movie still hanging in there. Lift has been dethroned from its #1 position to #3. The streaming platform is here with the report card for the week of January 29-February 4. Scroll below to find out which films are keeping the subscribers busy.
Netflix brings out the Global Top 10 list for TV shows in English and non-English and films in English and non-English. They tally the number of views a movie receives and the number of hours the subscribers spend on them. The process is the same for TV shows. We will be covering the TV Shows in a separate article.
- 2/7/2024
- by Esita Mallik
- KoiMoi
Griselda spent another week lording over Netflix, but Fool Me Once had its own reason to celebrate.
It was easily the most-watched title of the week with 20.6M views, marking its second week atop the English-language TV Top 10. According to Netflix, the series was in the Top 10 in 90 countries. That was nearly three times the viewership of second place, which was the docuseries Alexander: The Making of a God with 7.1M views in its debut week.
While Fool Me Once was pushed to No. 4 this week, the additional 5.1M views put it on the Most Popular List at No. 9. The series has managed 84.9M views in its first 35 days on Netflix. Expect this series to continue to climb the list, since it has plenty of time to build a larger 91-day viewership. It’s next hurdle will be Season 2 of Bridgerton, which would require nearly 10M additional views.
Speaking of,...
It was easily the most-watched title of the week with 20.6M views, marking its second week atop the English-language TV Top 10. According to Netflix, the series was in the Top 10 in 90 countries. That was nearly three times the viewership of second place, which was the docuseries Alexander: The Making of a God with 7.1M views in its debut week.
While Fool Me Once was pushed to No. 4 this week, the additional 5.1M views put it on the Most Popular List at No. 9. The series has managed 84.9M views in its first 35 days on Netflix. Expect this series to continue to climb the list, since it has plenty of time to build a larger 91-day viewership. It’s next hurdle will be Season 2 of Bridgerton, which would require nearly 10M additional views.
Speaking of,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Katie Campione
- Deadline Film + TV
One Christmas Warner Bros. release replaced another this week with “Wonka” taking over as #1 from “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” on all VOD charts. However, other late-year releases including “Migration,” “Wish,” and “The Marvels” aren’t having the same luck. While theatrical is the premium marketing tool for home viewing, we’re seeing that it doesn’t always translate to chart placement.
Universal’s “Migration” is weaker than past animated releases, currently #4 at Vudu (which tallies by revenue). Disney’s “Wish,” also in week two, placed only on two charts. In its third week, “The Marvels” only placed on Vudu and is #20 at Apple TV. “Ferrari” (Neon) and “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.) are gone after one week. “The Boys in the Boat” (Amazon MGM) managed just one week on the charts.
“The Beekeeper” (Amazon MGM), which is still performing well in theaters (#3 this weekend), is available at home after 18 days.
Universal’s “Migration” is weaker than past animated releases, currently #4 at Vudu (which tallies by revenue). Disney’s “Wish,” also in week two, placed only on two charts. In its third week, “The Marvels” only placed on Vudu and is #20 at Apple TV. “Ferrari” (Neon) and “The Color Purple” (Warner Bros.) are gone after one week. “The Boys in the Boat” (Amazon MGM) managed just one week on the charts.
“The Beekeeper” (Amazon MGM), which is still performing well in theaters (#3 this weekend), is available at home after 18 days.
- 2/5/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
All caught up on this year’s Oscar-nominated movies? Catch one of the winter’s biggest not-nominated movies. It’s one the whole family can enjoy.
The contender to watch this week: “Wonka“
Come with me and you’ll be in a world of Paul King‘s imagination. The “Paddington” director’s Willy Wonka prequel dominated the holiday box office en route to $553 million worldwide and counting. Now it’s also available to rent or purchase on VOD. Timothée Chalamet earned a Golden Globe nomination for the title role, but that was the extent of the movie’s awards favor aside from one BAFTA nod. In a rare rebuff for a big-budget original musical, none of its numbers made the Oscars’ Best Original Song shortlist. Oh well. “Wonka” is a pleasing movie, sugary but nowhere near as phoned-in as its early trailers suggested.
Other contenders:
“Orion and the Dark”:...
The contender to watch this week: “Wonka“
Come with me and you’ll be in a world of Paul King‘s imagination. The “Paddington” director’s Willy Wonka prequel dominated the holiday box office en route to $553 million worldwide and counting. Now it’s also available to rent or purchase on VOD. Timothée Chalamet earned a Golden Globe nomination for the title role, but that was the extent of the movie’s awards favor aside from one BAFTA nod. In a rare rebuff for a big-budget original musical, none of its numbers made the Oscars’ Best Original Song shortlist. Oh well. “Wonka” is a pleasing movie, sugary but nowhere near as phoned-in as its early trailers suggested.
Other contenders:
“Orion and the Dark”:...
- 2/3/2024
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Gold Derby
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mr. & Mrs. Smith and the Grammys.
Curb Your Enthusiasm premiere
Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman and J.B. Smoove attended the L.A. premiere event for Curb‘s 12th and final season on Tuesday, alongside guest stars including Ted Danson, Jon Hamm and Vince Vaughn.
Jeff Garlin, Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, Amy Gravitt, Jeff Schaffer, J. B. Smoove and Laura Streicher Ted Danson Kyla Weber and Vince Vaughn
Mr. & Mrs. Smith premiere
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine debuted their new Prime Video series on Wednesday in NYC, alongside costars Parker Posey, John Turturro, Michaela Coel and Eiza González.
Donald Glover, Jen Salke, Maya Erskine and Francesca Sloane Eiza González and Michaela Coel
Republic Records party
On Wednesday, Patrón el Alto...
Curb Your Enthusiasm premiere
Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman and J.B. Smoove attended the L.A. premiere event for Curb‘s 12th and final season on Tuesday, alongside guest stars including Ted Danson, Jon Hamm and Vince Vaughn.
Jeff Garlin, Larry David, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, Amy Gravitt, Jeff Schaffer, J. B. Smoove and Laura Streicher Ted Danson Kyla Weber and Vince Vaughn
Mr. & Mrs. Smith premiere
Donald Glover and Maya Erskine debuted their new Prime Video series on Wednesday in NYC, alongside costars Parker Posey, John Turturro, Michaela Coel and Eiza González.
Donald Glover, Jen Salke, Maya Erskine and Francesca Sloane Eiza González and Michaela Coel
Republic Records party
On Wednesday, Patrón el Alto...
- 2/2/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
The Beekeeper (David Ayer)
It’s the time of year for smooth-brained relaxation. Moviegoers can recover from the holidays with the comfort of knowing Gerard Butler, Liam Neeson, or Jason Statham will be here to satisfy their mid-budget, action-programmer needs. Is it really the new year if one of those cherished Kings of January doesn’t appear on the release slate? There’s no Gerry or Liam, but the ever-reliable Statham dons a trucker hat and blue jeans to grit his way through David Ayer’s The Beekeeper, an overall valiant, occasionally fun attempt to take us out of Q1 doldrums. – Conor O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (S. Craig Zahler)
S. Craig Zahler is the...
The Beekeeper (David Ayer)
It’s the time of year for smooth-brained relaxation. Moviegoers can recover from the holidays with the comfort of knowing Gerard Butler, Liam Neeson, or Jason Statham will be here to satisfy their mid-budget, action-programmer needs. Is it really the new year if one of those cherished Kings of January doesn’t appear on the release slate? There’s no Gerry or Liam, but the ever-reliable Statham dons a trucker hat and blue jeans to grit his way through David Ayer’s The Beekeeper, an overall valiant, occasionally fun attempt to take us out of Q1 doldrums. – Conor O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (S. Craig Zahler)
S. Craig Zahler is the...
- 2/2/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
As quickly as it came, Sundance 2024 is in the books, with it another excellent showcase of the hottest titles in independent cinema. This marked my fifteenth year attending the festival in Park City, Utah, and I ended up reviewing twenty-one movies as part of my coverage. Here are a few takeaways from the festival:
Horror is king at Sundance
The midnight section at Sundance has always been extensive, but in the last few years, thanks to the box office success of breakout acquisitions like Hereditary, The Babadook, and last year’s Talk to Me, it’s become the premiere section for big deals. A24 showed up with one of the most buzzed-about titles of the festival, I Saw the TV Glow (which I disliked – but I was in the minority), while Netflix spent $17 million on It’s What’s Inside, which could be a big horror breakout for them. The section is...
Horror is king at Sundance
The midnight section at Sundance has always been extensive, but in the last few years, thanks to the box office success of breakout acquisitions like Hereditary, The Babadook, and last year’s Talk to Me, it’s become the premiere section for big deals. A24 showed up with one of the most buzzed-about titles of the festival, I Saw the TV Glow (which I disliked – but I was in the minority), while Netflix spent $17 million on It’s What’s Inside, which could be a big horror breakout for them. The section is...
- 2/2/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
From the first seed of an idea to the creative chaos of cramming 40-plus celebrities into a single recording studio, The Greatest Night in Pop, the new documentary from director Bao Nguyen (Be Water)chronicles every obstacle and behind-the-scenes story that led to the iconic song we all know and love. Still performed at karaoke bars and school recitals all over the globe, “We Are the World” gathered together dozens of pop and rock luminaries on one unprecedented night to raise millions of dollars in humanitarian aid for African famine relief. Upon its release in 1985, it quickly became the first single to be certified multiplatinum. Produced by the legendary Quincy Jones, the song was co-written by Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson at the height of their fame, and featured solos by Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, Stevie Wonder, and Kenny Rogers, among many more musical superstars. Today, it’s...
- 2/1/2024
- by Roxanne Fequiere
- Tudum - Netflix
Longtime friends Sheila E. and Gloria Estefan are teaming up for the debut single from Sheila E.’s first-ever salsa album, Bailar. The two are sharing vocals on an energetic cover of the Celia Cruz classic “Bemba Colorá,” complete with a drum solo. The single, which also features singer Mimy Succar (whose son, Tony Succar, is the album’s co-producer), is out on Feb. 23, with the album dropping in April. “Gloria and I have been friends since the Eighties,” Sheila E. tells Rolling Stone. “So she’s family to me.
- 2/1/2024
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
From singing backup at Elvis Presley’s 1968 comeback TV special to writing Michael Jackson’s “She’s Out of My Life” to arranging the vocals on Billy Joel’s An Innocent Man, longtime Quincy Jones collaborator Tom Bahler has had an improbably jam-packed music career. But as he sees it, the peak of it all came in January of 1985, when Jones called upon him to arrange the array of superstar vocals on “We Are the World.”
With a new documentary on the song, The Greatest Night in Pop, out now on Netflix,...
With a new documentary on the song, The Greatest Night in Pop, out now on Netflix,...
- 1/31/2024
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
Chronicling what should probably be considered the Avengers Assemble of the rock music world, Netflix’s latest musical documentary, The Greatest Night in Pop, lays out everything that went behind the scenes of the 1985 single We Are the World. It is certainly one of the most popular songs in the history of music, mainly because of its universal appeal and the people that are associated with it. You don’t get names like Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, Kenny Rogers, Bob Dylan, and Stevie Wonder working together to create one single piece of art every day. It is a once-in-a-lifetime thing, and Netflix makes sure that the audience gets to see it that way only.
What Happens In The Documentary?
The Greatest Night in Pop takes us back to one cold winter night in January 1985, where all the shining stars of the musical world gathered together in the A&m Studios,...
What Happens In The Documentary?
The Greatest Night in Pop takes us back to one cold winter night in January 1985, where all the shining stars of the musical world gathered together in the A&m Studios,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
In the Netflix documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, A-listers from Stevie Wonder to Michael Jackson come together for the recording of an iconic song
For all the behind the scenes gems and 80s nostalgia it has on offer, Bao Nguyen’s The Greatest Night in Pop is a master class in event planning.
As anyone who has ever tried to cram a group of A-listers – or even a crowd of sluggish friends and family members – into the same room at the same time knows, it’s going to be a headache. Bringing together 46 of today’s musical superstars for a night of unpaid work would be near impossible (small wonder most of today’s chart-topping collaborations involve no more than two artists). “There’s so many managers and publicists and agents that you’d have to go through,” Nguyen said from Sundance, where he premiered his film about the...
For all the behind the scenes gems and 80s nostalgia it has on offer, Bao Nguyen’s The Greatest Night in Pop is a master class in event planning.
As anyone who has ever tried to cram a group of A-listers – or even a crowd of sluggish friends and family members – into the same room at the same time knows, it’s going to be a headache. Bringing together 46 of today’s musical superstars for a night of unpaid work would be near impossible (small wonder most of today’s chart-topping collaborations involve no more than two artists). “There’s so many managers and publicists and agents that you’d have to go through,” Nguyen said from Sundance, where he premiered his film about the...
- 1/30/2024
- by Lauren Mechling
- The Guardian - Film News
“The Greatest Night in Pop” is a documentary for anyone who loves “We Are the World” (that would include me), or even for those who look at that legendary charity single with some serious questions but are fascinated by the phenomenon of it (that’s me as well). In a sense, “We Are the World” always was a documentary — the famous music video that captures the song as it was being recorded, in an into-the-night session that took place at A&m Recording Studios in Los Angeles immediately after the American Music Awards on January 28, 1985. (The organizers of USA for Africa realized that only by pinning the recording session to that night could they be sure all the stars they needed for the song would be in one place at the same time.)
That music video has always been more than just a video. It’s a pop-stars-reveal-themselves psychodrama in miniature.
That music video has always been more than just a video. It’s a pop-stars-reveal-themselves psychodrama in miniature.
- 1/29/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
The sessions started at Hollywood, California’s A&m Studios the night of Jan. 28, 1985, and didn’t end until well after sunrise the morning of Jan. 29. By that point, it was clear that nothing quite like “We Are the World” could ever happen again. The Greatest Night in Pop, a new documentary on Netflix, brings it all back to vivid life: co-writers Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie joined by Stevie Wonder, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and an improbably long list of other superstars, all crammed in...
- 1/29/2024
- by Brian Hiatt
- Rollingstone.com
Logistically, the task seemed impossible: Gather 46 of the world’s most massive musical stars in a Los Angeles studio and record a hit song, all in a single night. Oh, and the reason for this ambitious endeavor? To raise a record-breaking amount of money to benefit African famine relief and forever alter global pop culture.
No pressure or anything.
On Jan. 28, 1985, that’s exactly what happened during the recording session for “We Are the World.” The story of The Greatest Night in Pop is told in a new documentary film from director Bao Nguyen (Be Water): the idea, the song, and the long, wild night in the studio with some of the most significant musicians of the 20th century.
“This story starts with a call from Harry Belafonte,” Nguyen tells Tudum, referring to the late singer and activist’s idea...
No pressure or anything.
On Jan. 28, 1985, that’s exactly what happened during the recording session for “We Are the World.” The story of The Greatest Night in Pop is told in a new documentary film from director Bao Nguyen (Be Water): the idea, the song, and the long, wild night in the studio with some of the most significant musicians of the 20th century.
“This story starts with a call from Harry Belafonte,” Nguyen tells Tudum, referring to the late singer and activist’s idea...
- 1/29/2024
- by Amanda Richards
- Tudum - Netflix
Plot: In late 1984, inspired by the success of Band-Aid in the UK, legendary producer Quincy Jones decides to make a charity single including all of the biggest pop stars in the country. Due to the complicated schedules of all involved, they only have one evening to complete what will become one of the best-selling singles of all time, “We Are the World.”
Review: If you’ve seen the music video for “We Are the World,” you’ll know that pretty much every pop-rock icon of the first half of the eighties was there for its recording. In addition to co-writers Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, there was Huey Lewis, Hall & Oates, Diana Ross, Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Paul Simon, Steve Perry and so many more. Even Dan Aykroyd showed up singing in the chorus.
The song was a charity single...
Review: If you’ve seen the music video for “We Are the World,” you’ll know that pretty much every pop-rock icon of the first half of the eighties was there for its recording. In addition to co-writers Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie, there was Huey Lewis, Hall & Oates, Diana Ross, Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Paul Simon, Steve Perry and so many more. Even Dan Aykroyd showed up singing in the chorus.
The song was a charity single...
- 1/28/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
A Peek Behind the Curtain of Pop History Netflix’s documentary ‘The Greatest Night in Pop’ is a time capsule that transports us back to an evening that would forever change the landscape of music. It’s more than just a film; it’s an invitation to witness the magic that unfolded behind the curtains of pop history. As we delve into the heart of this article, let us uncover some amazing facts that the documentary reveals about this iconic event. Exclusive Glimpses into the Event’s Challenges The documentary offers an intimate look at the Herculean efforts required to bring ‘We Are the...
- 1/27/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Everyone knows that (almost) all of America’s biggest pop and rock stars crammed into a Los Angeles recording studio on the night of January 28, 1985 in order to lay down the vocals for the charity single “We Are the World,” a semi-tolerable earworm that would ultimately raise more than $68 million to provide food and relief aid to people suffering from starvation in Africa. What Bao Nguyen’s light and fluffy new Netflix documentary presupposes is that it would be entertaining to revisit the room where it happened and watch as this legendary session nearly devolved into an absolute shitshow that threatened to fall apart in 100 different ways due to the egos and insecurities of the singular artists involved.
And while “The Greatest Night in Pop” may not amount to anything more than a sanitized and somewhat masturbatory look back at one of the wildest get-togethers in the modern history of music,...
And while “The Greatest Night in Pop” may not amount to anything more than a sanitized and somewhat masturbatory look back at one of the wildest get-togethers in the modern history of music,...
- 1/24/2024
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Lionel Richie has been very emotional lately, but he wants to reassure everyone that he’s okay.
According to Richie, it’s just been a heady experience to look back nearly 40 years and relive all the wondrous and chaotic memories of writing and recording “We Are the World” for the new Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop.”
“Every segment of this journey, I cry,” Richie said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance Film Festival, where the film made its world premiere. “It just brings tears to my eyes because some of us are not here anymore. Also it was our innocence. We actually were making a difference, so to see the naive version of ourselves, when we actually had an aha moment that we might take all this celebrity and change the world … I’m just emotional about it because I get to watch my kid being born again.
According to Richie, it’s just been a heady experience to look back nearly 40 years and relive all the wondrous and chaotic memories of writing and recording “We Are the World” for the new Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop.”
“Every segment of this journey, I cry,” Richie said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance Film Festival, where the film made its world premiere. “It just brings tears to my eyes because some of us are not here anymore. Also it was our innocence. We actually were making a difference, so to see the naive version of ourselves, when we actually had an aha moment that we might take all this celebrity and change the world … I’m just emotional about it because I get to watch my kid being born again.
- 1/23/2024
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Lena Waithe, who is a juror at Sundance, believes the festival “really sets the tone for the year,” citing “Past Lives” as an example from last year.
“Obviously, ‘Past Lives’ has done really well, surprisingly so to the business. It’s a quiet movie about home, friends, what would’ve happened if you would’ve stayed in one place versus going somewhere else,” Waithe said. “Ultimately, I look at Sundance as a window into our industry, into what’s happening. And I think there’s a huge diversity in terms of filmmakers, writers, cast, and for me, it’s really about making sure this business still has a heartbeat.”
At the Variety Diversifying Storytelling in Film panel presented by Adobe, Waithe and other creatives at Sundance discussed the role art plays in reflecting society.
Dawn Porter, director of “Luther: Never Too Much,” reflected on how films from “Past Lives” to...
“Obviously, ‘Past Lives’ has done really well, surprisingly so to the business. It’s a quiet movie about home, friends, what would’ve happened if you would’ve stayed in one place versus going somewhere else,” Waithe said. “Ultimately, I look at Sundance as a window into our industry, into what’s happening. And I think there’s a huge diversity in terms of filmmakers, writers, cast, and for me, it’s really about making sure this business still has a heartbeat.”
At the Variety Diversifying Storytelling in Film panel presented by Adobe, Waithe and other creatives at Sundance discussed the role art plays in reflecting society.
Dawn Porter, director of “Luther: Never Too Much,” reflected on how films from “Past Lives” to...
- 1/21/2024
- by Caroline Brew
- Variety Film + TV
“The Greatest Night In Pop” is so entertaining and eminently watchable, and it’s as simple as that. Directed by Bao Nguyen, the acclaimed filmmaker of the Bruce Lee doc “Be Water,” the already-engaging subject matter doesn’t hurt: nearly 50 of the top American music artists in the world all in one room, recording a soon-to-be global hit single. Presumably, everyone knows “We Are The World,” still one of the best-selling pop singles of all time, recorded by the supergroup U.S.A.
Continue reading ‘The Greatest Night In Pop’ Review: A Deeply Entertaining Music Doc About Pop Hit “We Are The World” [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Greatest Night In Pop’ Review: A Deeply Entertaining Music Doc About Pop Hit “We Are The World” [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/20/2024
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
At one point as the supergroup dubbed “USA for Africa” was assembling on January 28, 1985, at A&M Recording Studios in Hollywood, Paul Simon reportedly joked, “If a bomb lands on this place, John Denver’s back on top.” Such was the magnitude of mid-‘80s music luminaries on hand, everyone from Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick and Tina Turner through Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel and beyond. Unless you’ve spent your whole life under a rock, sometime or other, the resulting charity single, “We Are the World,” has likely gotten stuck in your head. The song achieved instant global saturation, selling out the initial run of a million copies in the first weekend of its release.
Of course, this is pre-downloads, so we’re talking actual vinyl sales, and it’s audiences with fond recollections of those analog days and the music stars who dominated the charts during the...
Of course, this is pre-downloads, so we’re talking actual vinyl sales, and it’s audiences with fond recollections of those analog days and the music stars who dominated the charts during the...
- 1/20/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I didn’t really know much about the making of the song,” admits The Greatest Night in Pop director Bao Nguyen of 1985’s star-studded Ethiopian famine relief hit “We Are the World.” “You just make these assumptions about how things are made because it just happens. But when you think now of 46 great artists getting together to make that, it would be really impossible for that to happen now.”
Whether or not the superstars of 2024 could or would come together like the hit makers of the Reagan Era did in America and the UK almost 40 years ago is debatable. What is a fact is that Nguyen’s latest documentary is debuting today at the Sundance Film Festival just a few days short of when U.S.A. for Africa recorded the Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson penned tune in a studio in Los Angeles. It is also a fact that, after a total of four Sundance screenings,...
Whether or not the superstars of 2024 could or would come together like the hit makers of the Reagan Era did in America and the UK almost 40 years ago is debatable. What is a fact is that Nguyen’s latest documentary is debuting today at the Sundance Film Festival just a few days short of when U.S.A. for Africa recorded the Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson penned tune in a studio in Los Angeles. It is also a fact that, after a total of four Sundance screenings,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
As a global pop culture event, it’s hard to match the release of “We Are the World,” the charity single that sold more than 20 million copies in 1985 and united 46 musical stars as enormous and disparate as Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Diana Ross at an all-night secret recording session. The story of that night — the scrambling, the egos, the moments of creative kismet — is now told in Bao Nguyen’s documentary The Greatest Night in Pop, which will premiere Jan. 19 at Sundance before streaming on Netflix beginning Jan. 29.
“When I heard how they assembled the team, to me it was almost like a heist film,” says Nguyen, who directed the 2020 Bruce Lee documentary Be Water. “You have Quincy Jones as the Danny Ocean of the whole effort. And they’re assembling [the team] — who’s the best rock star, who’s the best legend? There’s a bit of...
“When I heard how they assembled the team, to me it was almost like a heist film,” says Nguyen, who directed the 2020 Bruce Lee documentary Be Water. “You have Quincy Jones as the Danny Ocean of the whole effort. And they’re assembling [the team] — who’s the best rock star, who’s the best legend? There’s a bit of...
- 1/18/2024
- by Rebecca Keegan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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