“Studio 54” director Matt Tyrnauer dropped by TheWrap’s Sundance studio to discuss the untold story of the legendary New York City nightclub. “You would think Studio 54 is an over-told story but really it’s under-told, because the people that really know the story didn’t talk for 40 years,” Tyrnauer told TheWrap’s Matt Donnelly.
“It’s really a rise and fall and rise again story,” Tyrnauer added. “Ian Schrager, who is the surviving founder of Studio, really didn’t talk for a lot of years because Studio 54 flamed out. It was something almost too extraordinary to last in that kind of James Dean way. It’s sort of the James Dean of nightclubs.”
“Studio 54” remains one of the most important and iconic nightclubs. Now, 39 years after its opening, a feature documentary tells the real story behind the greatest club of all time.
“What we found in the Ian Schrager-Steve Rubell story was kind of a platonic love story of two partners, outer borough guys from Brooklyn, one gay, one straight, who just complete each other basically,” added Tyrnauer about Schrager and Rubell.
Tyrnauer is also known for his fashion documentary on Valentino (“The Last Emperor”).
Watch the interview above.