David Farnor | On 22, Oct 2020

Apple TV+ has acquired the rights to Todd Haynes’ The Velvet Underground.

The new feature documentary from the Carol director shows just how The Velvet Underground created a new sound that changed the world of music. One of rock n roll’s most revered bands, the group became a cultural touchstone representing a range of contradictions: the band is both of their time, yet timeless; literary yet realistic; rooted in high art and street culture.

The film features in-depth interviews with the key players of that time combined with a treasure trove of never before seen performances and a rich collection of recordings, Warhol films, and other experimental art that creates an immersive experience into what founding member John Cale describes as the band’s creative ethos: “how to be elegant and how to be brutal”.

The documentary is produced by Polygram Entertainment in association with Federal Films, a Motto Pictures and Killer Films production. Haynes directs and serves as producer. The film is produced by Christine Vachon, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn and David Blackman.

The new documentary will join a growing line-up of Apple Original unscripted features, including Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer’s upcoming Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds, the recently released Boys State and the Emmy-nominated Beastie Boys Story.

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