Pop star David Bowie performing on stage during a concert at The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow.

'Moonage Daydream' Trailer Revealed Never-Before-Seen Footage Of David Bowie

Home / Entertainment / 'Moonage Daydream' Trailer Revealed Never-Before-Seen Footage Of David Bowie

By Favour Adegoke on May 24, 2022 at 7:30 PM PDT

"Moonage Daydream" just got its trailer released ahead of the Monday evening premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it's set to film in the Midnight Screenings section. The feature-length film will focus on the creativity of famous music icon David Bowie. His spiritual, and musical journey before his death.

The movie will show several unreleased footages of the singer as well as recordings, exclusive drawings, and several others. Brett Morgen, known for his work on several critically acclaimed films, will direct, write, and produce the film and has reportedly been on the project for the last four years.

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Never-before-seen photos of David Bowie while sitting for his 1983 wax figure released by Madame Tussauds London
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Never-before-seen photos of David Bowie while sitting for his 1983 wax figure released by Madame Tussauds London
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Bowie's wife, model Iman previously revealed that she had no intention of authorizing a biopic; however, she was more amenable to a live concert-oriented documentary. "Moonage Daydream" will be released by Neon in partnership with three other film production companies.

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'Moonage Daydream' Will Show Never-Before-Seen Clips Of David Bowie

The trailer of Bowie's documentary film, "Moonage Daydream," was just released. This is the first film about the icon sanctioned by the Bowie estate and will show never before seen footage of the artist during his prime.

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David Bowie in concert. 20th March 1990.
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The teaser kicked off with Bowie's voiceover reflecting on life. He said, "All people, no matter who they are, all wish they'd appreciate life more. It's what you do in life that's important, not how much time you have— or what you wished you'd done."

During the trailer, the narrator prompted, "Questions have arisen such as: Who is he? What is he? Where did he come from? Is he a creature of a foreign power? Is he a creep? Is he dangerous? Is he smart? Dumb? Nice to his parents? Real? Put on? Crazy? Sane? Man? Woman? Robot? What is this?"

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'Moonage Daydream' Will Span Bowie's Music Career

The anticipated film will reportedly focus on Bowie's 54-year-old career. It will mine the artist's personal effects, including his exclusive drawings, personal footage, recordings, and films to journals, as well as some performances previously unseen by the public.

David Bowie
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The movie will reportedly premiere at the Cannes festival and be released in theaters in September. It was written, directed, and produced by Morgen, known for his directorial work on "Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck," "Jane" and "The Kid Stays in the Picture."

"Moonage Daydream" will have around 40 remastered songs by the artist. Its soundtrack was made using 12.0, 7.1, and 5.1 stems to create a sonic experience fit for specific theaters. Neon will release the film in partnership with HBO Documentary Films, Universal Pictures Content Group, and IMAX.

Morgen Spent Two Years Going Through Bowie's Archives

Morgen reportedly received unrestricted access to Bowie's archive and spent two years" scrolling through every piece of material in the Bowie archive" to make the film. The director talked about the project during CinemaCon.

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British pop singer David Bowie pictured performing in concert at Wembley. 20th June 1987.
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There, Morgen mentioned that the film was created using thousands of hours of footage of Bowie performing, as well as over 500 assets from the musician's archives. He reportedly gathered 16mm and 35 mm prints relevant to the film during his search.

He told the CinemaCon crowd, "Bowie cannot be defined; he can be experienced. This is why we crafted 'Moonage Daydream,' to be a unique cinematic experience." Morgan continued, "David was there to show me it was OK to be myself. That my differences were my strengths. In 1971, that idea was radical. In 2022, it is mainstream. That's why David Bowie is the perfect star for this moment."

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Bowie's Family Wasn't In Support Of A Biopic

During an interview with Variety, the late singer's wife, Iman, revealed that the family had no intention of authorizing a biopic like "Rocket Man" or "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the name of Bowie. She said, "I've been asking, and people say things like, 'Your love story should be made into a movie.' Oh, dear God, no!"

The model revealed that their relationship was too private, that making a movie like that was the family's decision and that they were always against it. "It's always a no," Iman said. We always ask each other, 'Would he do it?' He wouldn't. We want to honor his decision."

British pop singer David Bowie performing on stage during the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium. 13th July 1985.
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The family's belief that the late musician wouldn't want a biopic is evidenced by Bowie's reaction to a Todd Haynes film produced in 1998. The film titled "Velvet Goldmine" after the artist's song, had a character clearly portrayed to be him. However, he refused to license his music for the project.

Despite his family's insistence on a nonbiographical movie, they were apparently open to a live concert-oriented documentary about Bowie. Morgan's impressive track record might have also had something to do with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L61SJbLhTqE

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