From The Stage To The Screen: The Upcoming Music Films You Need To See

The state of live music across the globe might be up in the air, but there’s no shortage of music-related films to look forward to.

Some of the greatest musicians of all time and their stories with be hitting cinemas (and/or streaming) in the coming months, and here’s what you need to know.

The Bee Gees: How Do You Mend A Broken Heart

The first-ever feature-length documentary on The Bee Gees, The Bee Gees: How Do You Mend A Broken Heart, will hit cinemas on December 3.

The film "chronicles the rise of the iconic group, consisting of brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin Gibb, their music and its evolution over the years and includes contemporary interviews with Barry Gibb, Eric Clapton, Mark Ronson, Noel Gallagher, Lulu, Nick Jonas, Chris Martin and Justin Timberlake".

Crock Of Gold: A Few Rounds With Shane MacGowan 

Acclaimed director Julien Temple (The Filth & The Fury) invites viewers on a “wild ride” with his new exploration of The Pogues’ Shane MacGowan.

Opening in Australia on December 17, Crock Of Gold takes a deep dive into the life and career of the beloved Irish punk poet via animation by Ralph Steadman, unseen archival footage, interviews with artists, collaborators, friends and family, and more.

Temple summed it up by saying: “Irascible, intractable, infuriating, fascinating, appalling, galling, bellicose, comatose, cantankerous, cadaverous, impossible, unstoppable - filming Shane is like flying through a radioactive rainbow, but in the end, there is an inner Crock Of Gold waiting to be discovered.”

American Utopia

David Byrne's latest stroke of brilliance saw him enlist 11 musicians, singers, and dancers from around the globe for a stint at Hudson Theatre in New York where he reimagined his 2018 album American Utopia and a number of Talking Heads songs.

The critically acclaimed Broadway show was distilled into a “one-of-a-kind film” by legend Spike Lee, the results of which screen at Aussie cinemas from November 26 following its premiere on HBO Max in the US last month.

Stardust

Set in 1971, David Bowie biopic Stardust focuses on the late UK icon's path to his alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. The film stars Johnny Flynn as Bowie, alongside Marc Maron as Mercury Records publicist Ron Oberman.

“I set out to make a film about what makes someone become an artist; what actually drives them to make their art," director Gabriel Range said back in April.

"That someone is David Bowie, a man we’re used to thinking about as the star he became, or as one of his alter egos: Ziggy Stardust; Aladdin Zane; The Thin White Duke. Someone I only ever saw at a great distance, behind a mask; a godlike, alien presence.

"Even in his perfectly choreographed death, he didn’t seem like a regular human being.”

Respect

US actress and singer Jennifer Hudson portrays late music legend Aretha Franklin in the forthcoming biopic, Respect. 

The film is based on Franklin's life and is expected to be released in 2021. It was directed by Liesl Tommy, also stars Forest Whitaker, Mary J Blige, Marc Maron and Marlon Wayans.

Franklin was heavily involved in developing the film before her death in August 2018. The soul icon passed away at the age of 76 at her home in Detroit after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.

The Beatles: Get Back

Peter Jackson's The Beatles: Get Back looks at the making of The Beatles' final album, Let It Be, and features their last ever concert on London's Savile Row rooftop.

“Working on this project has been a joyous discovery. I’ve been privileged to be a fly on the wall while the greatest band of all time works, plays and creates masterpieces," Jackson said.

"I’m thrilled that Disney have stepped up as our distributor. There’s no one better to have our movie seen by the greatest number of people.”

Approved by The Beatles legends Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, The Beatles: Get Back was originally slated for release this year, but was pushed back to 26 August, 2021.

Tripping With Nils Frahm

If you’re itching for more live music, then Nils Frahm can assist. The internationally lauded musician and composer will debut his new concert film in Australia and New Zealand this month ahead of its global release in December.

“A legendary artist at a legendary location, the film captures one of the world’s most sought-after live acts performing at one of Europe’s most iconic buildings - the Funkhaus Berlin,” reads the film’s synopsis.

Frahm noted: "It was about time to document my concerts in picture and sound, trying to freeze a moment of this period where my team and I were nomads, using any method of travel to play yet another show the next day.

“Maybe tonight is the night where everything works out perfectly and things fall into place? Normally things go wrong with concerts, but by combining our favourite moments of four performances, we were able to achieve what I was trying to do in these two years of touring: getting it right!”

You can find screening details here.

Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley Biopic

In the early stages of production, Baz Luhrmann's Elvis Presley biopic, currently being filmed in Queensland, is shaping up to be a very promising release.

The film will be based on "the life and music of Elvis Presley, seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker" and "delves into the complex dynamic between Presley and Parker spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom, against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America".

It stars Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rufus Sewell, UK singer Yola, Australia's own Olivia DeJonge and more and is expected to be released in 2021. You can read more about it here.