Oscar-winning director Kevin Macdonald will helm a documentary about Whitney Houston that hasbeenauthorized by the singers estate since her death in 2012.
Per a statement, the as-yet-untitled film will offer the unvarnished and authentic story of Houstons life, from her early days singing in her churchs gospel choir to her astounding success as a global pop star, which included a string of seven straight Billboard Hot 100 Number Ones. The film will includeinterviews with Houstons friends, family and collaborators, including famed record executive Clive Davis, who helped launch the singers career. It will also featurenever-before-seen footage of Houston, as well as demo recordings and rare performances from herarchives.
The story that is never told about Whitney is just how brilliant she was as an artist; by many measures, she had the greatest voice of the last 50 years, Macdonald said. She changed the way pop music was sung bringing it back full circle to its blues and gospel roots. She was also completely unique in being a black pop star who sold in countries where black artists dont traditionally sell.
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But Macdonald added the film would not shy away from the darker parts of Whitneys life, including her tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown and struggles with drug abuse and addiction. Houston died in 2012with an autopsy report namingaccidental drowning as the cause of death, though cocaine use and a heart condition were listed as contributing factors.
While Macdonalds film has the blessing of Houstons estate, its not the only documentary in the works about the singer. FilmmakerNick Broomfield known for his controversial documentaries like Kurt and Courtneyand Biggie and Tupac is also helming a film about Houstonfor BBC Twothatgoes in search of the forces that made and then destroyed the singer. A spokesperson for Houstonsfamily, however, told Rolling Stone the estate had no involvement in this program whatsoever.
Macdonalds Houston documentary will be pitched to buyers at the Cannes Film Festival next month by Altitude Films. The production company also handled the heralded 2015 Amy Winehouse documentary, Amy.
As for Macdonald, the filmmaker took home the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2000 for One Day in Septemberabout the attack on Israeli athletesat the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. His other credits include the 2012 Bob Marley documentary, Marley, as well as The Last King of Scotland, for which Forest Whitakerwon an Academy Award for his portrayal ofUgandan dictator, Idi Amin. Macdonald most recently directedthe first episode of the J.J. Abrams-produced mini-series, 11.22.63, starring James Franco and based on the Stephen King book of the same name.