Barbra Streisand is branching out into music documentaries.
The singer, actress, director, producer and EGOT winner has begun work on a multi-part documentary about her life and career, to be directed by Frank Marshall, Alex ·Gibney Productions. The goal of the project, according to the announcement, is “an in-depth and comprehensive exploration of all aspects of the iconic multi-hyphenate,” with access to Streisand’s own archival material as well as footage of her working on current projects.
The film will follow Streisand’s upbringing in Brooklyn, her early career in New York nightclubs and her critically acclaimed performance in the original Broadway musical. funny girlwhich was later adapted into a 1968 film starring William Wyler. After winning an Oscar for her role as Fanny Brice in the film, Streisand stars in Hello Dolly!, Owl and kitten, What’s the matter, doctor? and a a star is born Before her feature directorial debut Yentel. The latter marks the first time a woman has written, directed, produced and starred in a major feature film. In terms of music, advertising billboard According to 2021 reports, Streisand is the only female recording artist to have an album in the publication’s top 20 in every decade since the 1960s.
Streisand said in a statement: “For years, I have been thinking about how best to share the vast amount of content that I have safely stored in the vault. These films, photos and musical masters – many of which have never been seen or heard by the public. — holds some of my most precious memories. I’m so happy that producer Alex Gibney and director Frank Marshall agreed to go on this journey with me.
Over the course of her decades-long career, Streisand has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, eight Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award (not including the Lifetime Achievement Award).
“For years, people have been talking about the need for a definitive documentary about Barbra Streisand,” Gibney said in a statement. “Through a series of fascinating conversations and rigorous research, we have developed the project under the leadership of Frank Marshall. Keep going. I’m so excited to be making this film about Barbara, a legendary singer, brilliant actor, director and political activist who inspired us all. Did I forget to mention that she was a… A great storyteller and very funny?
The documentary will be produced by Kennedy/Marshall and Gibney Puzzle Productions. Producers include Elle Parker of Gibney, Marshall, Kennedy/Marshall, veteran music documentary filmmaker Michelle Farinola, Sony Music Entertainment president of premium content Tom McKay, and Streisand Multiple collaborators include record producer and songwriter Jay Landers.
The film will be distributed by Sony Music Vision in partnership with Columbia Records, with Sony Music Vision handling global sales. Sony Music Vision is a production division of Sony Music, a division of Streisand’s longtime label Columbia Records.
With the project, Streisand will join the ranks of Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and others. Billie Eilish has participated in documentary filming in recent years. The music documentary craze started a few years ago as streamers tried to fill their content slates, a trend that resulted in some titles being editorially independent, while others were produced in part by the stars in question and/or their team members.
