Enter David Bowie's colorful world with the Moonage Daydream trailer
The new documentary from director Brett Morgen hits theaters in September
After premiering at Cannes earlier this year and releasing a brief teaser, NEON has shared the full trailer for the David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream. Directed by Brett Morgen, it promises to be suitably colorful and stylish as it delves into the career that produced some of rock music’s most influential iconography.
Specially formatted for IMAX, the film features previously unseen performances and footage from the musician’s personal life. Morgen spent years going through Bowie’s archives to create the film, starting in 2018. The director is already known for his entertainment documentaries, having previously been behind Cobain: Montage Of Heck, Crossfire Hurricane, and The Kid Stays In the Picture.
Moonage Daydream is framed by Bowie’s own narration, which is taken from interviews and archival footage and not the Anthony Bourdain AI generator. Described as an “experiential cinematic odyssey” in a press release, the film uses retro-tinted animation to enhance the imagery, which can be spotted in the trailer. Beyond its lack of typical talking heads, Moonage Daydream promises to go beyond the typical documentary format and put its own spin on Bowie’s boundary-pushing philosophy and passion for art.
Of course, music is a major component of the film. Producer Tony Visconti, who worked with Bowie from the beginning of his career to his final album Blackstar, was enlisted to revisit his past work for the documentary. Alongside sound mixer Paul Massey, Bowie’s original stems were remixed to be heard in a theatrical setting. A total of 48 songs appear in the project.
Moonage Daydream is the first film made with the approval of Bowie’s estate. The unofficial biopic Stardust was released in 2020; starring Johnny Flynn (Emma.), Marc Maron (GLOW), and Jena Malone (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire), the film depicted the musician’s first trip to America but did not have permission to use any of his songs.
Moonage Daydream premieres exclusively in theaters on September 16.