Documentary on One of the Greatest
Writers, Lyricists, and Storytellers of Our Time
VANCOUVER, BC, June 27,
2024 /CNW/ - Network Media Group
Inc. and Network Entertainment
Inc. (TSXV: NTE) (OTC: NETWF) ("Network" or "the Company")
are pleased to announce that it is in production on a new
feature-length documentary celebrating the life and career of
legendary lyricist Bernie
Taupin.
The film, produced by multi-award-winning Network Entertainment
(Sidney, BRATS, Sly Stone), will dive deep into the roots of
Bernie's creativity.
Derik Murray, Founder of Network
Entertainment, stated, "We are proud to be working with Bernie on
the definitive documentary of his inspiring journey and musical
legacy. We're also incredibly grateful for the opportunity to shine
a light on the mystery behind the genius of Bernie."
From "Your Song" to "Sacrifice" to "I'm Still Standing" to "I
Want Love," Bernie's cinematic lyrics will come to life on the
screen, supported by the classic songs that legions of Elton John and Bernie
Taupin fans around the world have been singing for
decades.
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Matthew
Miele (Bob Mackie: Naked
Illusion; Alan Pakula: Going for
Truth) and featuring newly commissioned, cinematically filmed
interviews and meticulously sourced archival content, the film
promises a pulsating celebration of Bernie's life, a deep dive into
the roots of his creativity – including Bernie living his dream as
a cowboy on the California coast,
and a trip with Bernie back to Lincolnshire to capture his origin
story, which is rooted within many of his songs that have become
classics – and an insider's look at his insatiable pursuit of sonic
and visual art forms.
Matthew Miele stated, "I think
many people are unaware that the phenomenon that is Elton John is really two people. And as talented
and flamboyant as the melody maker of that duo has become, one
can't help but be curious about the one who writes the words, the
storyteller. Having the opportunity to chronicle the brown dirt
cowboy, aka Bernie Taupin, has been
a story I have been working toward my entire career."
Featured interviews in the forthcoming documentary include
Elton John and an iconic cast of
artists such as Brandi Carlile,
Alice Cooper, James Hetfield, Annie
Lennox, Lulu, Gary Oldman,
Ringo Starr, and Pete Townshend.
Bernie Taupin shared, "Reticent
as I am to scrutiny, this project has been enlightening both on an
emotional and analytical level. The originality of all parties
involved has made participating in it much easier as I loosen my
grip on the cards I hold closest to my chest."
One of the most successful, decorated, and revered songwriting
duos of all time, Bernie and Elton have a record 30 consecutive Top
40 hits, have co-created over 25 platinum albums and 35 gold
albums, and have sold more than 255 million records worldwide, and
were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Bernie's rewrite
of "Candle in the Wind" for Princess
Diana's funeral remains the biggest-selling physical single
in recording history. In 2020, Bernie and Elton received an Oscar
and a Golden Globe for Best Original Song from the 2019 film about
Elton's rise to fame, Rocketman. 2022 saw Bernie
honored with a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
for his "exceptional services to music." September 2023 marked the release of
Bernie's New York
Times and Sunday
Times bestselling
autobiography, Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton, and Me.
And the last six months have solidified Bernie's legacy in the
pantheon of songwriters, as he was inducted into the Rock &
Roll Hall of Fame in November. You can see Elton and Bernie at the
ceremony here. In March of this year, Bernie Taupin and Elton
John were awarded the distinguished Library of Congress
Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
Brian Gersh, President of Network
Entertainment, stated, "What a gift to make a film in which
Bernie Taupin, arguably one of the
most revered and prolific songwriters of the modern era, brings us
inside his life, his creative process, and his half-century career
working with Elton John."
Directed by Matthew Miele, the
documentary is produced by Network Entertainment in association
with Polygram Entertainment – the film and television arm of
Universal Music Group. Producers are Network Entertainment's
Derik Murray, Heather Taupin, and Stephen McCormack of Reflektor Media. Executive
producers are Jody Gerson and
David Blackman for Polygram,
Erik Dekker, Tim
Gamble, Brian Gersh,
Paul Gertz, Charlie Hendon, Denis
MacCarthy, Matthew Miele,
Ali Pejman, Craig Verdon, Cameron
White, Curtis White,
Kyle White, Kent Wingerak, and Greg
Zeschuk.
About Network Entertainment
Network Entertainment develops, finances, and produces
award-winning films and television programming for distribution
across the globe. Network's recent releases include the
award-winning Sidney Poitier
documentary, Sidney, which premiered at TIFF and was
produced by Oprah Winfrey and
Derik Murray and directed by Reginald Hudlin, for Apple TV+; the feature
documentary BRATS, directed by original Brat Pack
member Andrew McCarthy in
partnership with NEON and ABC News Studios, which premiered at
Tribeca and subsequently went straight to #1 on Hulu upon its
release; the electric four-part docu-series PUNK,
executive produced by legendary fashion designer John Varvatos and punk pioneer Iggy Pop, which made its U.S. premiere on EPIX;
and The Age of A.I., an eight-part series in
partnership with host and executive producer Robert Downey Jr., which launched on YouTube
Originals and has attracted 62 million views and counting. Upcoming
releases include a feature documentary on ground-breaking musical
artist Sly Stone, of Sly and the Family Stone, directed by Academy
Award-winner and four-time Grammy and Sundance Film Festival Award-winner Ahmir
"Questlove" Thompson, in partnership with MRC Non-Fiction, which
was acquired by Disney's Onyx Collective.
About Polygram
Entertainment
Polygram Entertainment is the film and
television arm of Universal Music Group, the world leader in
music-based entertainment. Built on the foundation of the world's
most comprehensive and storied music catalog, Polygram
Entertainment develops, produces, and finances music-driven content
that inspires and engages fans of all ages around the world. From
premium documentaries to original scripted features and
scripted and unscripted television, Polygram Entertainment
productions explore the ways in which music shapes culture, informs
our worldview, and brings us closer together. Polygram
Entertainment's acclaimed, award-winning projects include the
recently released docuseries STAX: Soulsville
U.S.A, about the
legendary Memphis-based record
label; docuseries James
Brown: Say It Loud; Love to Love
You, Donna Summer, directed by Roger Ross Williams and Brooklyn
Sudano; Louis Armstrong's
Black & Blues from director Sacha Jenkins; Todd
Haynes' The Velvet Underground; Frank Marshall's The Bee Gees: How
Can You Mend a Broken Heart; Beastie Boys
Story from director Spike Jonze; Alison Ellwood's The
Go-Go's; Pavarotti from director Ron Howard; Roger Ross
Williams' The Apollo; the Emmy Award-winning
series "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist" and the subsequent telefilm
"Zoey's Extraordinary Christmas." Upcoming projects include Academy
Award-winner Morgan
Neville's Man on the Run, a feature
documentary that explores Paul
McCartney following the breakup of The Beatles and the
formation of Wings with Linda McCartney; and scripted features
about KISS and The Osbournes.
For additional information on Network Entertainment Inc.,
visit www.networkentertainment.ca
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Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or
accuracy of this release.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-looking
Information
Except for historical information contained herein, this news
release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and
uncertainties. These statements are necessarily based upon
management's perceptions, beliefs, assumptions, and expectations,
as well as a number of specific factors and assumptions that, while
considered reasonable by management of the Company as of the date
of such statements are inherently subject to significant
uncertainties and contingencies that could result in the
forward-looking information ultimately, perhaps materially, being
incorrect. All forward-looking information in this news release
involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors
that are beyond the control of the Company and may cause the actual
results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be
materially different from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking information. Except as required pursuant to
applicable securities laws, the Company will not update these
forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after
the date hereof.
SOURCE Network Entertainment Inc.
