A new documentary chronicling The Band titled, Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band, will tell the story of the group’s early days as Bob Dylan‘s backing group to becoming one of the greatest rock & roll acts to ever grace the stage. The forthcoming film is executive produced by Martin Scorsese, Brian Grazer, and Ron Howard, and directed by Daniel Roher (Survivors Rowe).
Bob Dylan Announces ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ Boxset, Release Date For Martin Scorsese Documentary
Inspired by Robbie Robertson‘s bestselling 2017 memoir Testimony, “the film is a confessional, cautionary, and sometimes humorous tale of Robertson’s young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music. The film blends rare archival footage and interviews with many of Robertson’s friends and collaborators, including Bruce Springsteen, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Martin Scorsese, Taj Mahal, Peter Gabriel, David Geffen, and Ronnie Hawkins, among others,” a description on Deadline reads.
It’s important to note that Scorsese has a longstanding history with The Band after directing the group’s beloved farewell concert documentary, The Last Waltz.
Robbie Robertson explained to Deadline that he is, “honored to have my memoir, Testimony, made into a documentary film by such an extraordinarily talented creative team.”
Imagine Documentaries president Justin Wilkes added,
Robbie and The Band are the stuff of rock n’ roll mythology. As a Woodstock native, the Big Pink house loomed large in my cultural psyche growing up and like many, many others, the music sure made a lasting impression. The gospel according to Robbie is a wild, cinematic ride and we here at Imagine are honored to partner with Daniel and an illustrious band of producers in sharing Robbie’s story with the world.
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band is set to be released theatrically in fall 2019 and on Canadian streaming service Crave in early 2020. Head here for more information.
[H/T Deadline]