Paul McCartney is getting the documentary treatment from Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville.
Neville helped announce the news Saturday afternoon inside Milk Studios, host of Universal Music Group’s star-studded artist showcase, an annual Grammy weekend event presented by president and CEO Lucian Grainge that will usually features a program full of musical performances interspersed with some breaking news on Uni. film projects. Today’s installment, the first show in three years due to the pandemic, was no different with news on McCartney, a documentary on Grammy winner Jon Batiste from the aforementioned filmmaker with Oscar and Emmy Matthew Heineman and a spring release date on HBO for I love you, Duncan Summer.
The title is McCartney’s project Man on the Run and comes from MPL Communications (the umbrella company for McCartney’s business interests) and Polygram Entertainment (the film and TV division of UMG). According to official intelligence, the film will focus on the period of McCartney’s life after the break-up of the Beatles and will feature never-before-seen archive material and new interviews. It begins as the rocker navigates after the break-up, his life with his beloved wife Linda McCartney and the huge creative boom that followed.
Man on the Run It will be the “definitive document of Paul’s emergence from the dissolution of the biggest band in the world and how he created a second decade of musical milestones – a brilliant and prolific piece. ” His solo career delivered such hits as “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Another Day,” “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey,” “Hi, Hi, Hi,” “My Love,” “Live And Let Die,” “Band On The Run,” “Jet,” “Junior’s Farm,” “Listen To What The Man Said,” “Love Songs,” “Let Me In,” “Mule Kintyre,” “Le Began Luck” ,” “Good night tonight” and more.
Neville, who won an Oscar for 20 feet from Stardomcomes to the film after working on other docs like Roadrunner: A movie about Anthony Bourdain and Mr. Rogers-focus Won’t you be my neighbor? He will be producing with UMG’s Michele Anthony and David Blackman, producer Caitrin Rogers, Maverick’s Scott Rodger and MPL’s Ben Chappell. Man on the Run fully financed by MPL and Polygram and presented and produced by MPL, Polygram and Tremolo Prods.
“How do you find yourself after being in the greatest band the world has ever known?” Well, until the Beatles broke up, nobody ever had to answer that question,” Anthony explained to the capacity crowd seated inside Milk Studios. “At its heart, it is the story of Linda and Paul’s enduring love as he discovers his own voice as an artist, leading to one of the most creative moments of his life.”
Neville, a self-described “Beatle-maniac” and McCartney-obsessive, said he has read every book and seen every documentary about the band but has discovered something new with it. Man on the Run. “I was too young to buy Beatles records when they came out, but I could buy Wings records, and I loved them. For me, the story of what happened to Paul after the Beatles when he had to rediscover himself is the story that has never been told,” he said. “When Universal and Michele contacted me about this , it took me about three seconds to say I have to do this. This is the kind of thing I think I’ve been training for since I was 10 years old.”
Batiste also took care to announce his collaboration with Heineman American Symphony, a documentary about his journey to creating the stage show of the same name that debuted at Carnegie Hall last fall. The film is said to provide an intimate look into his creative process and a unique look into his personal life at the height of winning five Grammys (including record of the year for “We Are”) and the stages facing his wife’s cancer diagnosis and treatment. .
During brief remarks this afternoon, Batiste talked about the rollercoaster. “Looking back, you know, it’s very difficult for me. It is something to share. Because of giving everyone a window into the power of art but mostly the power of our own resistance,” he explained. “This is a life-affirming thing that happens when you face your mortality, and you face the edge of your potential. You face the edges of what you didn’t know you could do or didn’t know you could make it through, and maybe make it to the other side.”
He praised Heineman, someone he called an “amazing artist” who allowed him to film “for a year straight, every day, the most vulnerable and open-eyed I’ve ever been with a camera .” Heineman comes to the project after a distinguished work on docs like First Wave, Retrograde, Tiger, The Boy from Medellín and Cartel Land. “I hope that this film will reach you, and that my experiences will teach you something about yourself, about life, about struggle, about victory, about humanity,” said Batiste.
The film ads were included in a program that included a parade of performances from UMG actors in front of executives, within the music industry and fellow artists. Sitting inside Milk Studios from Saturday were Elton John (with David Furnish), David Zaslav, Niall Horan, Ice Spice, Fletcher, Yo Gotti, Sabrina Carpenter, Brooklyn and Bruce Sudano, Queen Naija, Natalie Jane and more.
UMG officials in attendance included Angel Kaminsky, Avery Lipman, Ben Adelson, Bruce Resnikoff, David Blackman, Dickon Stainer, Elliot Grainge, Frank Briegmann, Gary Kelly, Imran Majid, Jesus Lopez, Jo Charrington, Jody Gerson, John Janick , JT Myers, Justin Eshak, Marc Cimino, Michelle Jubelirer, Monte Lipman, Nat Pastor, Richelle Parham, Sam Riback, Steve Berman, Tunji Balogun, Tyler Arnold and Wendy Goldstein, among others.
“We’re back,” said Grainge as he canceled the program. “Can you believe it’s been three whole years since we were last in this room celebrating new artists and music? We are all back together. A lot has happened in the last three years, and today is just about the music.”
Taking the stage at the show (presented by Merz Aesthetics’ Xperience + and Coke Studio) were Kim Petras, Sam Smith, Samara Joy, Glorilla, Stephen Sanchez, Lauren Spencer Smith, Feid, Muni Long and Doechi. Grainge saved a dramatic performance for last as he welcomed country icon Shania Twain to close the show. It was clear that the audience was into the performances, providing steady views to many of the artists, which is a rarity for the label’s sometimes packed shows.
That was certainly not the case today, which started on a strong note thanks to a standing ovation for the famous Billie Eilish campaign, who opened the program by taking the stage to accepting an inaugural honor – the UMG x Reverb Amplifier award – presented by Grainge. on behalf of her eco-enterprise. Eilish said she feels “very proud” with the trophy. “Everyone in this room, we can all do our part. A lot of you got some money in your fucking pockets. Maybe use it for good things and not stupid things. “
See more highlights from today’s episode below.
