Celine Dion will be the subject of an upcoming feature-length documentary by Sony Music Entertainment’s Premium Content Division. The global music company, in partnership with SME Canada and Vermilion Films, just announced the start of production on the untitled movie about the five-time Grammy-winning singer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The documentary will share Dion’s life story and career accomplishments, including her iconic album releases, award accolades, world tours and Las Vegas residencies. The movie about the musician’s life story is being directed by Vermillion’s lead creative player, Irene Taylor.
As a filmmaker, Taylor is best known for her first feature documentary, Hear and Now, which won a Peabody and the Audience Award at Sundance in 2007. She also gained recognition for her 2009 documentary short, The Final Inch, which was nominated for an Oscar.
“I’ve always been an open book with my fans,” said Dion, who has sold more than 250 million albums over her 40-year career, in a statement released by SME. “With [her] sensitivity and thoughtful creativity, I think that Irene will be able to show everyone a part of me that they haven’t seen before…I know she’ll tell my story in the most honest and heartfelt way.”
The French Canadian singer, who began recording music in her early teens, is the latest celebrity to have a documentary made about their career and overall life. The new trend in music filmmaking is to allow the subject to have close involvement with the helmer in the project’s development, especially in terms of granting them access to personal archives and music rights.
In some cases, the subject also receives a producing credit on the project, as is the case with the upcoming Justin Bieber documentary, Our World. Val Kilmer also served as a producer on this summer’s hit documentary, Val, on which he reportedly had a say in the movie’s final cut. There’s no word yet on whether Dion will have a producer credit on her documentary.
The singer’s label group is covering the cost of, and distributing, the film, which will grant Taylor even more access to the Dion’s professional and personal archives. The Sony Music label family has released all of the musician’s English-language albums.
There’s no word yet whether the movie will be given a theatrical release by Sony.
The news of the documentary comes a day after the American distribution rights for Aline, a narrative feature biopic loosely based on Dion’s life, were picked up by Roadside Attractions and Samuel Goldwyn Films. The movie sold out globally for French sales company Gaumont.