Showtime has picked up a documentary about The Weeknd’s Super Bowl halftime show, the premium cable network announced Friday.
Titled “The Show,” the 90-minute feature will be directed by “Becoming’s” Nadia Hallgren and is set to premiere late this year. Pepsi, which produces the halftime show each year, will produce the doc with Boardwalk Pictures.
The Weeknd’s performance, helmed by longtime Super Bowl halftime show director Hamish Hamilton, was broadcast on Sunday from the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. Featuring hits like “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Starboy” and “Blinding Lights,” the performance was generally well-received by critics with its immersive stages and moody atmosphere. In a profile published in Billboard, it was revealed that the performer himself kicked in $7 million to deliver the show.
Showtime describes the halftime show, executive produced by Jesse Collins and Roc Nation, as “one of the biggest musical productions during one of the most challenging, unprecedented times” in its announcement of the documentary. “Despite the logistical challenges that the collective team faced in the lead-up, the result is what the world saw Sunday – an imaginative, out-of-the-box performance.”
“This historic year with Jesse Collins as the first Black EP of the Halftime Show brought an opportunity to tell a new story,” Hallgren said in a statement. “We get a window into the process of a diverse team of executives and creatives working at the highest level, in front of and behind the camera. It’s fun to see these masters at work while they also uplift others. I hope this can inspire people to pursue big dreams.”
Among the creatives who worked on the performance and will be featured in the documentary are: The Weeknd’s creative director La Mar Taylor, set designer Es Devlin, costume designer Lila Nikole, Bruce Rodgers on set build, producer Dionne Harmon and choreographer Charm La’Donna.
“The Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show is undoubtedly the world’s biggest stage, producing the most viewed and talked about moment in music every single year. The pressure to deliver an iconic, memorable and entertaining performance is felt well beyond the artist, as there are a number of people – behind the scenes – who are vital to its success,” Todd Kaplan, vice president of marketing for Pepsi, said. “With our new documentary coming to Showtime, we are taking fans on the emotional and thrilling journey of what it takes to make the biggest show of the year – with the added complexity of doing so amidst a global pandemic. With Jesse Collins and a number of super-talented creatives at the helm, THE SHOW chronicles all the drama and hard work that goes into successfully pulling off a show of this magnitude.”
“Anchored by The Weeknd’s dynamic performance, ‘The Show’ is a worthy snapshot of the tremendous artistry and effort that goes into the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show,” added Kent Sevener, executive vice president of content acquisition for Showtime. “Jesse Collins has been absolutely passionate about this project, and Nadia Hallgren brings the kind of energy and insight that will make this behind-the-scenes look a transformative experience and something unique for Showtime viewers.”
Leave a Reply