and his digital media company, The Ringer, have a deal in place to create a six-part 2021 documentary film series that spotlights pivotal creations and creators within the music sector.film series for ESPN, will import a similar framing philosophy to the music world with the new venture. The as-yet-untitled doc series will devote its installments to signature music acts, labels, albums, eras, or trends and each edition will be helmed b. different director.
“It’s been a dream of mine to put this project together,” Simmons said. “It wasn’t until I started working with Jody and Marc that the potential of it started to seem real. We see an opportunity to elevate the storytelling form with music docs much likechanged the landscape for sports documentaries at the end of last decade. We don’t want to make music docs that just cover the beginning, middle and end of someone’s career. We think there’s a different way to do these.
Executive produced by Simmons, Polygram Entertainment, and Universal Music Publishing Group executives Jody Gerson and Marc Cimino, the series is expected to air on HBO during a six-week window in 2021. “We’ve had a longtime collaboration with Bill, and we are thrilled that he came to HBO with this idea,” says Casey Bloys, President HBO Programming. “We look forward to working with him and the team at The Ringer to illuminate many of the fascinating artists and moments that have shaped the music industry.”
Simmons’ The Ringer launched in 2018 with an emphasis on sports, pop culture, and tech commentary. The Ringer Films division of the company produces long- and short-form, non-scripted programming with credits including HBO’s critically acclaimed Andre the Giant and the upcomingJody Gerson, Chairman and CEO of UMPG, says: “This series is about storytelling for musicians in a way that has never really been done before.
Love this.! Great!!
But first, Pearl Jam