Spike Lee to Direct Film of Broadway Show ‘David Byrne’s American Utopia’

The pic is planned for release later this year.
Participant on Friday revealed that Spike Lee is set to direct a filmed version of the theatrical concert David Byrne’s American Utopia.

The film, which will include live performance from the Broadway show, is planned for release later this year. Meanwhile, the stage production, which opened in October, is set to run through Feb. 16 at the Hudson Theatre. It features Byrne — formerly of the band Talking Heads — together with a group of musicians performing numbers from Byrne’s 2018 solo album American Utopia, but also includes other material from both his Talking Heads days and solo catalog.

“Pinch me. This couldn’t have worked out better for this project,” Byrne said in a statement. “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.”

Added Participant CEO David Linde, “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. We are incredibly excited to work with Mr. Byrne and the incomparable Spike Lee, along with RadicalMedia, River Road and Warner Music Group in bringing this one-of-a-kind event out of the theater to audiences around the world.”

RadicalMedia will produce the project alongside Byrne’s Todomundo and Lee’s Forty Acres and a Mule Filmworks production companies.