‘Beastie Boys Story’ Documentary From Director Spike Jonze Acquired by Apple
Apple has acquired the rights to “Beastie Boys Story,” a documentary film about the legendary rap-rock crew from director Spike Jonze, Apple announced on Wednesday.
The film is described as a live documentary experience that mixes a stage show and documentary footage. Jonze and living Beastie Boys members Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz, better known as Mike D and Ad-Rock, talk on stage about their personal story of forming the band and their 40 years of friendship together and with the late Adam Yauch, or MCA.
A special cut of “Beastie Boys Story” will open on select IMAX theaters for a limited engagement on April 3, and it will then move globally to Apple TV+ on April 24.
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The film is set to premiere on the heels of the 26th anniversary of the release of Beastie Boys’ No. 1 charting 1994 album, “Ill Communication,” and reunites Beastie Boys with Jonze, who directed the band’s music video for “Sabotage.” The film project grew out of Mike D and Ad-Rock’s collaboration on their “Beastie Boys Book” from 2018.
“There are some friends you have lunch with so many times over the years, you know their order. Spike is one of those friends. And even when you don’t recognize anything on the menu, he comes up with something good for the whole table. Like when we wondered what to do when our book comes out… then Spike placed his order: You will put on a show for the children,” Diamond and Horovitz said.
“I owe Beastie Boys a lot. One time, they pulled me out of a burning ship, and another time they helped me cheat on my college exam to get into Florida State. So, it was a real privilege to get to reunite with them and help them tell their story,” Jonze said.
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“Beastie Boys Story” is produced by Grammy winner Jason Baum and Amanda Adelson alongside director and writer Jonze, and it is executive produced by Diamond, Horovitz, Dechen Wangdu-Yauch, John Silva, John Cutcliffe, Peter Smith, Thomas Benski, Dan Bowen, Sam Bridger, Michele Anthony, David Blackman and Ashley Newton.
The film is produced for Apple by Fresh Bread and Pulse Films in association with Polygram Entertainment. The deal was negotiated by Endeavor Content and CAA on behalf of the filmmakers.
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