LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – FIFTH SEASON has announced that Questlove, the Academy Award and Grammy-winning artist, will direct a new feature documentary on Earth, Wind & Fire. The film will delve into the iconic band’s lasting cultural impact and musical legacy. Questlove, who earned an Academy Award for Summer of Soul, will have exclusive access to the band’s archives and the support of Maurice White’s estate and the group. FIFTH SEASON will finance and manage sales, along with WME.
The documentary’s production will include major industry names like RadicalMedia’s Dave Sirulnick and Samantha Grogin and Broken Halo Entertainment’s KB White, the son of Earth, Wind & Fire’s late founder, Maurice White. The film will also be produced in association with Sony Music Vision and Two One Five Entertainment, Questlove’s production company. Zarah Zohlman, Shawn Gee, and other vital producers and executives will also contribute.
“This is an incredibly exciting opportunity to give audiences unfettered access to one of the most successful and culturally meaningful music groups in history,” said Mary Lisio, FIFTH SEASON’s EVP of Non-Scripted Development & Production.
Questlove shared his deep personal connection with the band, stating, “I’ve learned about them, I’ve learned about us, and more importantly, I’ve learned and rediscovered myself in the process. I’m so excited to be part of the process of preserving their positive but VERY vulnerable and real story of Soul, Self, and Struggle.”
Earth, Wind & Fire’s band members, Philip Bailey, Verdine White, and Ralph Johnson, expressed their enthusiasm, saying, “We look forward to this in-depth journey of our band and are so excited to have Questlove directing the documentary.”
The group has sold over 90 million records and won six Grammy Awards, with hits like “September,” “Reasons,” and “Shining Star” standing as timeless classics. Despite their massive success, the documentary will explore their underappreciated early struggles and their profound mission to uplift the Black community through music infused with Afrofuturism and positivity.
Questlove’s directorial role adds to FIFTH SEASON’s robust portfolio of music documentaries, which includes projects like McCartney 3, 2, 1 and Kiss the Future, further cementing the studio’s reputation in the genre.
