Spike Lee will direct a film version of Talking Heads' frontman, David Byrne’s American Utopia show – born out of his 2018 album of the same title – which has literally been burning down the Broadway house, following a wildly successful world tour that more or less re-invented the musical wheel.
According to Rolling Stone, the Spike Lee movie adaptation is due out later this year, which is truly great news! The hit Broadway show will end its five-month residency at New York’s Hudson Theatre on February 16th and, as anyone who has been lucky enough to catch the show so far will attest, ‘must-see’ doesn’t even begin to describe what a mind-blowing experience it is!
“Pinch me,” Byrne said in a statement [via Rolling Stone]. “This couldn’t have worked out better for this project. Spike Lee directing and Participant producing … two socially engaged teams, well, three if you count us in the band, coming together in what I feel will be something moving, important, and unlike anything anyone has seen before.”
David Byrne's American Utopia | “Burning Down the House”
“American Utopia is a true celebration from a great artist and a beautiful reminder to our nation that we are all born barefoot and wearing the same suit,” Participant CEO David Linde said in a statement.
RadicalMedia CEO Jon Kamen added: “‘Stop Making Sense’ is one of the greatest music performance films ever. To have the opportunity to revisit the genius of David Byrne with American Utopia and produce a bookend film with Spike Lee and [cinematographer] Ellen Kuras is a dream.”
The film’s release date is yet to be announced, but producers anticipate we can expect it out before the end of 2020.
Until then, listen to the album behind the revolutionary stage show, David Byrne’s American Utopia on Spotify:
Listen to American Utopia on Apple Music:
