TITLE: The Greatest Night in Pop
Section: Special Screenings
Director: Bao Nguyen
Logline: The follow up to Bob Geldof and Band Aid’s chart topping “Do They Know It’s Christmas” single, “We Are the World” was a blockbuster when it was released on March 7, 1985. Produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian, the song was recorded during an all-night session in January that year with the 46 stars like Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Diana Ross, Cyndi Lauper, Kenny Rogers, Smokey Robinson, Journey’s Steve Perry, Huey Lewis, Sheila E, Willie Nelson, Stevie Wonder, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, and Ray Charles. Debuting at Sundance and launching on Netflix on Jan. 29, documentary The Greatest Night in Pop takes you behind the scenes, reveals the people behind the legends and how they pulled off the impossible.
Panelists: Bao Nguyen (director) Lionel Richie (subject/producer), Julia Nottingham (producer)
First screening: Jan. 19.
Key quote: “I can tell you honestly, I don’t know how we did it,” says Lionel Richie in 2024 of the writing and recording of “We Are the World” nearly 39 years ago with 46 of the biggest stars in music in one LA studio. “Because the perspective is, it was impossible to do. It’s impossible. I keep thinking, today could we pull that off and the answer is absolutely not.”
The Deadline Studio at Sundance runs January 19-22 on Main Street, when the cast and creatives behind the best and buzziest titles in this year’s lineup sit down with Deadline’s festival team to discuss their movies and the paths they took to get to Park City.
Thank you to our sponsors McGee & Co., Final Draft, Portrait Creative Network, and Courser.