Moviefone Editorial

Category: Documentaries

  • ‘The Case Against Adnan Syed’ Teaser Trailer Promises a Closer Look

    ‘The Case Against Adnan Syed’ Teaser Trailer Promises a Closer Look

    The Case Against Adnan Syed teaser trailer still
    HBO/YouTube

    The first “Serial” case has not been forgotten — in fact, it is the inspiration for a forthcoming four-part documentary series.

    Coming to HBO this spring, “The Case Against Adnan Syed” continues the work the podcast started. It delves into the 1999 killing of Hae Min Lee and Syed’s subsequent murder conviction. A new teaser trailer, released Tuesday, shows that it considers whether Syed was wrongfully convicted and other possible suspects.

    Additionally, the preview hints at new evidence and shows snippets of interviews with people close to the case, including Syed himself. “The closer you look, the more you see,” the trailer says.

    Watch below.

    Syed, who was Lee’s ex-boyfriend, was arrested in 1999 and found guilty of her murder in 2000. He has been going through the appeals process in the years since, and his case caught international attention after “Serial” debuted in October 2014. The podcast has since devoted another season to the case, and it is also the subject of the podcast “Undisclosed,” among other works.

    “The Case Against Adnan Syed,” which is directed by Amy Berg, premieres on HBO this spring.

  • Michael Jackson Docuseries Alleging Sex Abuse to Debut at Sundance, Air on HBO

    Michael Jackson Docuseries Alleging Sex Abuse to Debut at Sundance, Air on HBO

    Leaving Neverland
    Amos Pictures

    A new two-part docuseries exploring sexual abuse allegations against the late Michael Jackson is soon to make its debut.

    Amos Pictures’ “Leaving Neverland” will first premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 25 before later airing on HBO, Deadline reports. The film centers on two adult men and their families who claim Jackson exploited them when the men were children. Both men, Wade Robson and James Safechuck, previously filed sex abuse lawsuits against Jackson or his estate that were ultimately dismissed.

    The documentary has proven controversial already. A rep for the Jackson estate issued a statement calling it “yet another lurid production in an outrageous and pathetic attempt to exploit and cash in on Michael Jackson,” according to Rolling Stone.

    “This so-called ‘documentary’ is just another rehash of dated and discredited allegations,” the statement also reads in part. “It’s baffling why any credible filmmaker would involve himself with this project.”

    “Leaving Neverland” director, producer, and cinematographer Dan Reed, however, spoke out in support of the men and their stories.

    “It took great courage for these two men to tell their stories and I have no question about their validity,” he said in a statement (via Rolling Stone). “I believe anyone who watches this film will see and feel the emotional toll on the men and their families and will appreciate the strength it takes to confront long-held secrets.”

    Viewers will have a chance to decide for themselves how they feel about “Leaving Neverland,” either at Sundance or when it airs on HBO.

    [via: Deadline; Rolling Stone]

  • Aretha Franklin Doc ‘Amazing Grace’ Gets Distribution Deal

    Aretha Franklin Doc ‘Amazing Grace’ Gets Distribution Deal

    NEON

    “Amazing Grace,” featuring footage of Aretha Franklin‘s legendary Gospel performances from 1972 is finally getting a theatrical release.

    Neon acquired the film, which has already played at DOC NYC and AFI Fest in Los Angeles. Neon said it’s planning an early 2019 theatrical release.

    The two-night performances by Franklin at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles became the best-selling double live album “Amazing Grace,” but the accompanying footage, which was shot by Sydney Pollack, was never released.

    Producer Alan Elliott acquired the movie rights in 2007. According to Vulture, he was a young Atlantic Records employee in 1990 when he first learned about the long-lost movie: “Over the next 28 years, Elliott worked like a cinematic Sherlock Holmes to at first crack the case…  and then to salvage the film. Along the way, Elliott mortgaged his home several times to buy the existing footage, edit the film, and pay for insurance and lawyers.”

    Franklin, who died in August, sued to stop its release, but now the film is being launched with the support of her estate.

    The movie includes an 11-minute version of “Amazing Grace,” as well as “Mary Don’t You Weep,” Carole King’s “You’ve Got a Friend,” and Marvin Gaye’s “Wholy Holy.”

    Sabrina Owens, Franklin’s niece and personal representative of the Aretha Franklin estate, said, “‘Amazing Grace’ is the heart and soul of Aretha Franklin. This film is authentic and is my aunt to her core. Our family couldn’t be more excited for audiences to experience the genius of her work and spirit through this film.”

    According to the New York Times, there was originally a a plan to release it as a double feature with blaxploitation movie “Superfly.”

    NY Times’ Wesley Morris raved of the film: “You get both the most lovely gaze a professional camera’s ever laid upon Aretha Franklin and some of the mightiest singing she’s ever laid on you. The woman practically eulogizes herself. Don’t bother with tissues. Bring a towel.”

    It’s now playing at Film Forum for a one-week-only engagement in order to qualify for Academy Award consideration.

    [Via Variety]

  • ‘RBG,’ ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ Land PGA Nominations

    ‘RBG,’ ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor’ Land PGA Nominations

    Magnolia/Focus Features

    In what is a likely predictor for the Oscars, the Producers Guild of America today announced it selections for best documentaries of 2018.

    Heading up the nominees: “RBG,” “Three Identical Strangers” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?,” which are the three top-grossing documentaries of 2018 and in the the top 30 nonfiction films of all time.

    • “RBG” is about Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose early years as a lawyer are also the subject of the feature film “On the Basis of Sex.”
    • “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?“, about the beloved late children’s show host Mr. Rogers, has now been nominated for virtually every major documentary award this year, with nods from the IDA Documentary Awards, the Cinema Eye Honors, the Gotham Awards and the Film Independent Spirit Awards, along with a nomination and win at the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
    • “Three Identical Strangers” is the compelling true story of triplets who were separated at birth and reunited as adults.
    • “The Dawn Wall” and “Free Solo”  are about two different men’s attempt to climb the El Capitan peak at Yosemite.
    • “Hal” is about iconoclastic film director Hal Ashby, who gave us films including “Harold and Maude,” “Coming Home,” and “Being There.”
    • “Into the Okavango,” the least well-known of the nominees, is about the effort to save the Okavango Delta in Africa.

    The winner will be announced on January 19 at the 2019 Producers Guild Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

    Last year, “Jane,” about Jane Goodall, won the PGA documentary award, but “Icarus” won the Oscar.

    The Producers Guild will announce nominees in more categories in the coming weeks.

    [Via The Wrap]

  • Joseph Fiennes to Join Legendary Explorer Ranulph Fiennes on Nat Geo Adventure Series

    Joseph Fiennes to Join Legendary Explorer Ranulph Fiennes on Nat Geo Adventure Series

    Joseph Fiennes in The Handmaid's Tale
    Hulu

    Get ready for an adventure.

    “The Handmaid’s Tale” star Joseph Fiennes has signed on to accompany his cousin, the legendary adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes, on a quite a journey. The two will head down the Nile River in Egypt for an upcoming three-part National Geographic docuseries, Deadline reports. Called “Fiennes: Return to the Nile,” It’s a homecoming of sorts for Ranulph, who first explored the area 50 years ago, early in his career.

    It should be exciting. The Fiennes cousins will both be put to the test. Joseph will be trying to hack it as an adventurer for the first time, while Joseph will be recreating a trip five decades after the fact. Nat Geo has teased that they’ll face tombs and frightening creatures.

    In spite of the challenges, Joseph, who is also producing, said that he is “delighted to be embarking on this adventure” with Nat Geo and Ranulph. “It is every boy’s dream to go on an expedition with the world’s great living explorer,” he added.

    We can all follow along from a safe distance. The three-part docuseries will premiere in 2019.

    [via: Deadline]

  • HBO’s ‘Queen of the World’ Trailer Offers ‘Unprecedented Access’ to British Royal Family

    HBO’s ‘Queen of the World’ Trailer Offers ‘Unprecedented Access’ to British Royal Family

    Queen of the World trailer still
    HBO/YouTube

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s royal wedding is already months behind us, so if you’re going through withdrawal, you’ll be relieved to know that another big event is almost upon us.

    The HBO documentary “Queen of the World” is set to premiere soon, and it looks at the British royals as Queen Elizabeth II gets the younger members of the family to take on some of her responsibilities. The trailer was released Sept. 19, and it teases “unprecedented access” to the monarch. She, her grandsons William and Harry, and her new granddaughter-in-law, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, all appear in the trailer, and they’re joined in the documentary by even more royals. The list includes Prince Charles; Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge; and Sophie, Countess of Wessex.

    Given the ongoing excitement about Harry and Meghan, it’s not surprising that they have a prominent role in the preview. The prince is shown reassuring people that they shouldn’t panic if they bump into the queen in the corridor, and the duchess discusses how the 53 countries in the Commonwealth will keep them busy.

    Watch the full trailer below.

    The big TV event is coming soon. “Queen of the World” debuts Monday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on HBO.

  • Tonya Harding Documentary ‘Sharp Edges’ Headed to Theaters, Streaming

    Ojeda Films

    It’s been more than 30 years since the documentary “Sharp Edges” was released, but the Tonya Harding-focused film is now set for an upcoming theatrical run and streaming.

    Neon, the production and distribution company behind the 2017 biopic “I, Tonya,” has bought the worldwide rights to “Sharp Edges,” Variety reports. As part of that, the distributor is planning a one-week run of the documentary before making it available for streaming, according to Deadline. “Sharp Edges” will play at Los Angeles and New York City starting July 6 at LA’s Music Hall and NYC’s Village East Cinema, and then be available on video on-demand on July 17 and Hulu on Aug. 3.

    Originally released in 1986, the documentary was made by Sandra Luckow when she was a student at Yale University and it is has been nicknamed “The original Tonya Harding movie.” The film followed the now-notorious figure skater when she was just 15 years old and preparing to compete in the U.S. Figure Skating Championships for the first time. Since the infamous attack on Harding’s rival and fellow figure skater Nancy Kerrigan, “Sharp Edges” has been frequently used by the media, as Variety notes; it was even used in the making of “I, Tonya.”

    Interest in Harding has been especially high since the biopic starring Margot Robbie was released last September — so much so that the two-time Olympian ended up being tapped to compete in “Dancing with the Stars” Season 26 alongside other well-known athletes. Neon is apparently capitalizing on this resurgence, and because of that, it’ll be much easier to watch the documentary.

    We’re glad of that. Let’s be real: The Tonya Harding story just never gets old.

  • ‘Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind’ Trailer Is Bittersweet to Watch

    HBO has released the first official trailer for the upcoming documentary “Robin Williams: Come Inside My Head.”

    A look at the life of the late and great comedian, the documentary delves into Robin Williams‘s private struggles. He battled depression for years before he tragically died by suicide in 2014. The trailer touches on this inner turmoil, making it as sad to watch as it is powerful.

    Not only does the documentary use ample footage of Williams taken from interviews and standup shows, it includes insight from those who knew him well. The trailer shows clips, including interviews with fellow big-name comedians and one of his children.

    “He was really comfortable on stage,” Steve Martin says. “Off stage, I just really felt he was holding himself together.

    Watch the moving trailer below.

    “Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind” is directed by Marina Zenovich. The documentary’s release date has not yet been announced.

  • Demi Lovato’s Documentary Topped 7 Million Views in a Week, and Tweets Show Fans Were Inspired

    2017 iHeartRadio Music Festival - Night 2 - ShowDemi Lovato fans are #SorryNotSorry they enjoyed “Simply Complicated” so much.

    The documentary was released on YouTube on Oct. 17, and in the first week it was available, it was viewed more than 7 million times around the world, Variety reports. Fans got a chance to learn more about Lovato, who was candid about her struggles with depression, substance abuse and an eating disorder. So far, the response on Twitter has been extremely positive; there has been a wave of tweets commending the pop star for her open and inspiring message, including from “Glee” alum Jenna Ushkowitz.

    A large contingent of fans are very vocally pulling for Lovato and her ex-boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama to reunite after she revealed in the documentary that she still loves him.

    Whatever happens for Lovato personally and professionally from here, she has inspired a lot of people and brought important issues to light.

    “Simply Complicated” is streaming on YouTube now.

    [via: Variety; Twitter]

  • HBO’s Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds Documentary Shows ‘Unbreakable’ Bond

    21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards - Press RoomThe back-to-back deaths of actresses Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher give new meaning to an upcoming HBO documentary on the mother-daughter duo.

    While the project, “Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds,” was always intended to tell their story, it will now pay poignant tribute to their unique lives and bond. HBO Documentary Films President Sheila Nevins described the film as “a love story” in an interview with Variety after news of Reynolds’s death broke Wednesday, just one day after Fisher herself died.

    “Carrie wanted to make ‘Bright Lights’ for Debbie and Debbie wanted to make it for Carrie,” she told the publication. “They just loved each other so much. The bond was just unbreakable.”

    The film was largely filmed roughly a year ago and centers on their relationship as they dealt with their personal ups and downs. “It’s life with Carrie and Debbie,” said Nevins. “It’s about both of them trying to stand upright, both having their frailties — age on the one hand and mental illness on the other.”

    “Bright Lights” was screened at the New York Film Festival in October and in Cannes in May, but an official HBO premiere date has not been set. Given the tragic turn, Nevins made it clear that premium network will be mindful in moving forward.

    [via: Variety]