Entertainment phenomenon Barbra Streisand will be searching the corners of her mind for memories – misty, watercolor or otherwise – for a multi-part documentary directed by EGOT-winner Frank Marshall and produced by Oscar winner Alex Gibney.
Production is underway on the untitled project from Sony Music Vision, in partnership with Columbia Records, Jigsaw Productions, and The Kennedy/Marshall Company.
“The production has been granted unprecedented access to Streisand’s personal archives, including hundreds of hours of personal, never-before-seen video, photographs, audio recordings, and personal keepsakes from throughout her acclaimed career,” according to a release. “Utilizing this treasure trove of archival materials alongside contemporary verité, the documentary will provide an in depth look of Streisand’s star studded past and her current artistic endeavors.”
In a statement, Streisand said, “For years I’ve been thinking about the best way to share the vast amount of content I’ve been safely storing in my vault. These films, photos and music masters — many never seen or heard by the public — hold some of my most cherished memories. I’m so pleased that producer Alex Gibney and director Frank Marshall have agreed to take this journey with me. My appreciation to Tom Mackay, head of Sony Music’s Premium Content team, for his belief in the project. And especially to Sony Music Chairman Rob Stringer who has unwaveringly supported so many of my creative endeavors.”
Streisand, an EGOT winner herself (she won a non-competitive Tony Special Award in 1970, along with multiple Emmys, Grammys, and two Academy Awards), has achieved success on an almost unfathomable scale beginning with her first appearance on Broadway before branching into television, the movies, and of course, the recording industry. The release says the documentary project “will offer an intimate and comprehensive exploration of every facet of the iconic multi-hyphenate who, in a career spanning six decades, has excelled in every area of entertainment.”
The documentary is a co-production of Jigsaw Productions and The Kennedy/Marshall Company. Producers include Alex Gibney, Frank Marshall, Aly Parker, Michele Farinola, Tom Mackay, and Jay Landers. The film is presented and distributed by Sony Music Vision in partnership with Columbia Records. “Ms. Streisand signed with Columbia Records in 1962, represented by Marty Erlichman who continues in that capacity,” the release notes.
Barbra Streisand
Firooz Zahedi
“I’m thrilled to be working with Alex again and to have the opportunity to bring Barbra’s incredible life story to the screen,” said Frank Marshall, a five-time Oscar nominee for Best Picture and winner of the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. He won a Grammy Award for Best Music Film for Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story and earned multiple Emmy nominations for The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (which included footage of Streisand’s duet with Barry Gibb on the song “Guilty.”). Marshall added of the Streisand project, “We have been given unprecedented access to archival footage from decades of her groundbreaking career and intimate visibility to the trailblazing she continues to do in life today. Uncovering these remarkable moments illustrate why she has become an enduring icon to a global audience of all generations.”
Gibney, whose directing credits include documentaries on Frank Sinatra and Paul Simon, and the Oscar-winning Taxi to the Dark Side, commented, “People have been talking about the need for the definitive documentary on Barbra Streisand for years. After a series of wonderful conversations and rigorous research, we are moving forward with Frank Marshall at the helm. I am delighted to produce this film on Barbra, a legendary singer, extraordinary actor, director, and political activist who inspires us all. Did I forget to mention that she’s a great storyteller who is funny as hell?”
Krista Wegener of Sony Music Vision will lead global sales for the documentary.
Sony Music Vision is among the companies behind the newly announced documentary on Earth, Wind & Fire documentary to be directed by Oscar winner Questlove (Summer of Soul). Sony Music Vision’s I Am: Celine Dion, released in June on Prime Video, rapidly became the platform’s most popular documentary ever.
No anticipated release date has been announced for the Streisand documentary.