David Bowie Documentary 'Moonage Daydream' Sets September Release Date
It's been six years since rock icon David Bowie passed away, leaving a huge hole in the fabric of the music industry with his death. (No matter whether you personally liked the man's music, it's impossible to argue the scope of the impact his talent and creativity had on the performers who came after him. Upcoming film Moonage Daydream will attempt to showcase just that, focusing not only on the music legend's life, but also on his larger creative and spiritual journey as a performer.
Filmmaker Brett Morgan (Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck) spent nearly four years digging through archival material to make this "cinematic odyssey", including thousands of hours of performances and other assets, including unreleased 35mm and 16mm footage from Bowie's personal archives.
Moonage Daydream is the first film project to be officially sanctioned by the Bowie estate since the late singer's passing, which means that it's packed with the rocker's actual music, unlike some other recent Starman-adjacent projects we could name. (Cough cough looking at you Stardust cough.) It also apparently features some fairly rare performance footage and will explore the chameleon-like artist's work in other mediums including dance, painting, sculpture, screenwriting, acting, and live theater.
The title is a reference to the song of the same name from Bowie's 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, which introduced the world to one of his first and most iconic personas, Ziggy Stardust. And the film does spend a considerable amount of time on the peak of his glam rock era from 1970 to 1977. (Fingers crossed for a follow-up that explores his Berlin period, or the weird electronica phase that was Bowie in the 1990s. Just saying!)
Watch the trailer for yourselves below.
The official synopsis describes the film as follows.
‘Moonage Daydream’: a cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie's creative, spiritual, and musical journey. From the visionary mind of Brett Morgan, ‘Moonage Daydream’ features captivating, never before seen footage and performances spanning Bowie's illustrious 54-year long career. The film includes 40 exclusively remastered Bowie songs and is the first film ever sanctioned by the Bowie estate with total access to the artist's archives.
Moonage Daydream premiered as an official selection at this year's Cannes Film Festival to glowing reviews and afterward, was acquired by NEON Films and HBO. It will get a global theatrical release (including IMAX engagements in select locations) beginning on September 16, 2022, before coming to HBO and HBO Max in 2023.
