(Audlble)
Words + Music is coming soon. MGM+ has ordered the new docuseries, which will tell the stories of four well-known musical artists.
The lives of Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, John Legend, and Alanis Morissette will be featured. The series is inspired by Audible’s series of the same name.
MGM+ revealed the following about the series:
“Today, premium linear channel and streaming service MGM+ announced the greenlight of the docuseries Words + Music, a new music docuseries from Gunpowder & Sky and Audible, based on Audible’s acclaimed audio series of the same name. The series will premiere on November 30th, and feature member of the Songwriter’s Hall Of Fame Elvis Costello, nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow, 13-time Grammy winner John Legend, and seven-time Grammy winner Alanis Morissette. Words + Music is set to premiere this fall on MGM+ in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Words + Music will feature iconic artists sharing stories about songs pivotal to their careers, followed by all-new performances of those songs either solo or with a band. The innovative visual adaptation will be shot on Amazon MGM Studio’s volume stage, an immersive video environment, allowing the creation of dynamic visual narratives that complement each artist’s storytelling. As the artists’ stories unfold, the environment around them will transform to reflect each anecdote and song, creating an intimate yet visually stunning experience.
Filming on Culver Studios’ cutting-edge Stage 15, Words + Music features a 79′ x 80′ LED volume with a 26-foot ceiling and a 74-foot scenic deck, an immersive virtual production environment powered by 105 motion capture cameras and state-of-the-art ROE BP2 LED panels.
“Musicians express what we mere mortals think and feel, but they do it better… .and with a melody,” said Van Toffler, CEO of Gunpowder & Sky. “Adapting Words + Music for a visual medium gave our studio, and our producing partners Alex Coletti and Bill Flanagan, an incredible opportunity to merge lyrics, music, performance and visual art. The result is something as intimate as a backstage confession and as cinematic as a feature film. These aren’t just stories about iconic songs – they’re portraits of how those songs, and the artists behind them came to be.”
“Words + Music is a uniquely engaging blend of iconic music and intimate storytelling from the legendary artists who lived it. It’s the next evolution of the high-quality music-focused MGM+ documentaries that our audience has come to expect,” said Michael Wright, Head of MGM+. “We are fortunate to have been able to collaborate with Audible, whose pioneering Words + Music format was so compelling that we had to bring it to television, and music storytelling visionary Van Toffler and his studio, Gunpowder & Sky.”
“Words + Music has struck a chord with listeners, and this evolution of Audible’s groundbreaking format within the Amazon ecosystem bridges audio and visual storytelling, creating a captivating new experience for musicians and fans alike,” said Rachel Ghiazza, Chief Content Officer, Audible. “This collaboration underscores Audible’s ongoing commitment to the strategic expansion of our IP headed by Jackie Levine, leveraging our extraordinary content to connect with audiences in fresh, meaningful ways.”
Audible’s Words + Music audio series fuses music and storytelling in an unprecedented way, allowing artists to express themselves and connect with listeners like never before. With more than 40 installments, Audible’s Words + Music slate boasts an extensive roster of iconic musicians including Usher, Mariah Carey, Pete Townshend, Snoop Dogg, Eddie Vedder, Yo-Yo Ma, James Taylor, Sting, Chuck D, Brandy, George Clinton, and more. For more information on Words + Music, please visit www.audible.com/ep/words+music.
The series is produced by Gunpowder & Sky and Audible.
Words + Music will debut as part of an overall deal between Audible and Amazon MGM Studios to develop multiple projects inspired by Audible’s expansive content library, led by Audible’s Head of TV and Film, Jackie Levine. Most recently, MGM+ also acquired best-selling author Michael Connelly’s The Wonderland Murders & the Secret History of Hollywood, based on the hit Audible podcast of the same name which explores the infamous Wonderland murder case in 1980s Los Angeles.”
The premiere date for the series will be announced at a later time.
What do you think? Do you plan to watch this upcoming MGM+ series?
