This Machine News
Questlove’s Sly Stone Documentary Lands At Onyx Collective For Hulu Alongside Kris Bowers & Dahi’s ‘Anthem’
Onyx Collective has landed a pair of documentaries including Questlove’s upcoming Sly Stone film. The brand, which airs on Hulu, will air both Questlove’s Untitled Sly Stone documentary and Anthem, which follows composer Kris Bowers and music producer Dahi as they take on a musical journey across the U.S. experimenting to reimagine the National Anthem.
Actress Dakota Johnson, Ro Donnelly Board Sundance Doc ‘The Disappearance Of Shere Hite’ As EP’s, With Johnson Tapped As Voice Of Famed Sex Researcher
Award-winning actress Dakota Johnson and her producing partner at TeaTime Pictures, Ro Donnelly, have joined The Disappearance of Shere Hite as executive producers ahead of the documentary’s world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
How the World’s Most Infamous Jewel Thief Turned to Murder
Nearly 60 years ago, a surfer named Jack Murphy pulled off one of the most audacious jewel heists in US history when he and a buddy scaled the American Museum of Natural History, broke through glass, and stole the Star of India sapphire, the DeLong Star ruby, and an assortment of diamonds and emeralds. R.J. Cutler’s new four-part docuseries, Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus, and Mayhem in the USA, premiering February 5 on MGM+, makes clear that Murphy wasn’t an expert thief. At 27, Murphy was a tanned party boy who simply lucked out with the museum’s unbelievably lax security. It was 1964, and the museum’s alarms had stopped working.
Olivia Newton-John Documentary Is in the Works From R.J. Cutler’s Banner
R.J. Cutler’s production hub This Machine is developing another documentary about a music star — in this case, the late Olivia Newton-John, who died in August 2022.
The feature-length doc will explore Newton-John’s life and work as an iconic entertainer, best-selling music artist, animal rights and environmental activist and health, wellness and plant medicine advocate. This Machine has secured full authorized access to Newton-John’s music and personal archives.
‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’ World Premiere At Sundance 2023
Shere Hite’s 1976 bestselling book, The Hite Report, liberated the female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous survey respondents. Her findings rocked the American establishment and presaged current conversations about gender, sexuality, and bodily autonomy. So how did Shere Hite disappear?
Prime Video, This Machine Launch Documentary About Lee Soo Man, The King Of K-Pop And “Modern-Day Willy Wonka”
Production is underway on Lee Soo Man: The King of K-Pop, a feature documentary from production company This Machine that will land on Prime Video. Filmmaker Ting Poo, who earned acclaim with her 2021 Prime Video documentary Val about actor Val Kilmer (co-directed with Leo Scott) is helming Lee Soo Man, a “documentary chronicling the enthralling life of a bold visionary whose work put his country on the map, sparked a global movement, and continues to define an era,” as a release put it.
IDA Documentary Awards: “Dear…” Nominated For Best Episodic Series
The International Documentary Association (IDA) announced the nominations for the 38th annual IDA Documentary Awards, which will be held on Dec. 10, 2022, at the Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios Lot in Los Angeles.
DOC NYC: 40 Under 40
Congratulations to honoree, Trevor Smith. 40 Under 40 celebrates emerging talent in the documentary world, including directors, producers, cinematographers, and editors. This program is co-presented by HBO Documentary Films.
Fist-ever Documentary Centered On Black Beauty
Supermodel and entrepreneur Iman discusses her involvement in the documentary "Supreme Models," the first-ever documentary centered on Black beauty, and the importance of models of color.
Iman makes the case for fashion’s humanity
NEW YORK — From the beginning, modeling was always meant to be a business proposition, not a flight of fancy or a personal indulgence. And so, fashion was a remarkable, lucrative ride for the woman who came to be known simply as Iman: the model whose swan’s neck made a world-weary editor swoon…
Iman Talks Black Excellence in Fashion — and What the Industry Still Needs to Do Better
Iman wants to celebrate the "joy" of the Black model and all the creatives in the fashion industry…
Documentary Inspired By Charles Blow’s Bestseller ‘The Devil You Know’ Coming From HBO Documentary Films And This Machine
Production is underway on a feature documentary from HBO Documentary Films and This Machine inspired by New York Times columnist Charles Blow’s book The Devil You Know: A Black Power Manifesto.
Emmy-Winning Filmmaker R.J. Cutler Signs With WME As He Embarks On Elton John Doc
WME has signed filmmaker R.J. Cutler and his production company This Machine, fresh off the announcement of Cutler’s upcoming documentary on Elton John.
Elton John Documentary ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ Lands At Disney In Mega Deal For Hybrid Release
Disney Original Documentary and Disney+ have won the rights to a big feature documentary package, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances And the Years That Made His Legend. No one would comment, but we hear the docu, from Academy Award-nominee R.J. Cutler as well as filmmaker (and longtime Elton John partner) David Furnish, sold for about $30 million.
Elton John to Get the Official Documentary Treatment With ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’
After getting his own blockbuster biopic, Elton John will be fêted with an official documentary, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road: The Final Elton John Performances and the Years That Made His Legend.
Co-directed by R.J. Cutler and filmmaker — and John’s husband — David Furnish, the movie will be centered around John’s farewell tour, while also looking back at 1970 to 1975, the monumental period when John released 10 albums and scored some of his biggest hits. The doc will also include an array of unseen concert footage from the past 50 years, as well as John’s handwritten journals and present-day footage of the musician and his family.
‘Dear…’ Team On How Series Profiles Icons And The People Who Send Them Heartfelt Letters
The world has come to recognize the supreme talent of Viola Davis, the Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress. But she had to overcome huge obstacles to achieve her success, growing up poor in Central Falls, Rhode Island.
The enormity of those obstacles becomes strikingly clear in an episode of the Apple TV+ documentary series Dear… that’s devoted to Davis. Now in its second season, the show profiles a different entertainer, activist or athlete in each installment, built around letters written to the trailblazers by members of the public inspired by their example.
Documentary Director R.J. Cutler Expands His Development and Production Team
This Machine, the production company founded by veteran documentary director and producer R.J. Cutler, has bolstered its development and production team with four new hires. Cutler, the Emmy Award-winning director behind docus including “The September Issue,” “Belushi” and most recently with “Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry,” launched This Machine in 2020 with an investment from Los Angeles-based Industrial Media.
