Four-hour Grateful Dead doc 'Long Strange Trip' headed to Amazon
Time to get an Amazon subscription, Deadheads.
Amazon Studios on Wednesday announced it has acquired the rights to a four-hour documentary about the iconic band Grateful Dead. You read that right -- four hours -- about as long as the average Dead show was, end-to-end.
Long Strange Trip, from director Amir Bar-Lev (The Tillman Story) and executive producer Martin Scorsese, will debut on the streaming service in the U.S. and the U.K. on May 26 as a six-part documentary.
The film "probes the creative forces, subversive ambitions, and interpersonal dynamics that drove the Grateful Dead in their 30-year quest for moments of collective inspiration," Amazon said in its news release.
The world premiere of the film will take place at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival. Band members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, and Bob Weir will be in attendance, and plan a special private performance on Sunday night.
"Over several decades a group of guys hung together making music in a group that was way tighter and lasted much longer than most marriages. Here's the movie," Weir said in a statement.
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Scorsese -- who immortalized the Rolling Stones in the 2008 documentary Shine a Light -- is apparently a Deadhead himself.
“I’ve always admired the spirit and creativity of the Grateful Dead,” the director said in a statement. “They are revolutionary artists who forever changed the world of touring and recording live music. They were a cultural force -- a lifestyle, that continue to influence new generations of fans. This film will entertain and educate audiences about one of the most innovative and groundbreaking American bands of the 20th century.”
Last year, Amazon Studios dished out $15 million at Sundance Film Festival for rights to the critically acclaimed Manchester by the Sea, which stars Casey Affleck.
This is their first pick-up at the 2017 festival, which kicks off this weekend.
“The story of the Grateful Dead is that of music and culture of the 20th Century,” Joe Lewis, Amazon Studios' Head of Comedy and Drama, said in a statement. “Told with vast scope and an unprecedented cast of real life characters, Amir has taken advantage of this larger than life canvas to make an era-defining musical portrait that we can’t wait to bring to audiences everywhere.”
Saba was a Los Angeles-based reporter who covers all things digital entertainment, including YouTube, streaming services and digital influencers. Prior to that, she spent two years at the Los Angeles Times covering entertainment for the Calendar and Company Town sections. Saba grew up in Santa Monica and graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in political science. When not reporting, she is usually binge watching shows online or looking for new coffee shops to frequent.
