A Second, INXS-Approved Michael Hutchence Documentary Is In The Works

Universal Music Group and Passion Pictures are teaming up on a documentary about the life of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence with the blessing of the band and their long-time manager, Chris Murphy.

The movie is set to be directed by lauded Aussie filmmaker Richard Lowenstein, who as Billboard reports worked extensively with the band during their career, including as director for their What You Need video clip (1985), among several others. Lowenstein's production company, Ghost Pictures (In Bob We Trust, Autoluminescent, Ben Lee: Catch My Disease) is also attached to the film.

The nascent project puts UMG and Passion Pictures (the company responsible for award-winning Rodriguez documentary Searching For Sugarman) in direct competition with a rival documentary — one that has publicly drawn Murphy's ire — being created by Sydney-based tech entreprenuer Ron Creevey and producer Danny Saber.

According to a statement from Lowenstein, the film project has been several years in the making, and comes with the involvement not only of UMG and Passion Pictures but Murphy and the remaining members of the band themselves.

"As one of Michael Hutchence’s closest friends and director of the majority of his and INXS’s multi award-winning music videos, concert films, and his only lead role in a dramatic feature film, I have been working on the definitive documentary film journey into the heart and soul of this complex, shy, poetic and exceptionally charismatic man for many years," Lowenstein said.

"To be able to embark on this film now with such great partners as UMG, Passion Pictures, Ghost Pictures, Chris and INXS is extremely exciting and I know that together we are going to tell this story like no one else can."

Passion Pictures manager John Battsek echoed Lowenstein's sentiments: "To know we have access to everyone and everything required to make such a film and the full support of UMG just reaffirms to us all that we can tell this story in the truest and most authentic way possible," he said in a statement.

As Billboard notes, UMG have experienced some success in the film world previously with Oscar-winning 2015 documentary Amy, focusing on tragic performer Amy Winehouse, while another factual feature — Eight Days A Week, a Ron Howard-directed film about The Beatles — is also in the works, and Blackman is certain they're onto another winner here.

"Michael Hutchence was a musical genius who led one of the world’s biggest bands to global stardom, only to succumb to a tragic end," he said in a statement. "We have assembled an incredible team that is committed to telling Michael’s story and providing the world with a portrait of a man who left behind an enduring musical and cultural legacy."

The newly announced Hutchence documentary is expected to hit screens in late 2017, in line with the 20th anniversary of the singer's death, with his daughter, 20-year-old Tiger Lily, set to be a beneficiary of proceeds from the feature, a fact of which Murphy says he is "extremely proud".

Creevey and Saber have also indicated their documentary — which is being preceded by a series of unreleased Hutchence tracks — will be released about the same time.