Spike Lee has ideas about where to put filmgoers’ feet (on the ground) and their heads (in the sky). That is to say, he and David Byrne have announced plans to adapt Byrne’s Broadway show American Utopia for the big screen.
American Utopia, currently in its final days of a four month extended run at the Hudson Theatre in New York, is not quite a musical, but isn’t just a concert, either.
Byrne leads his 11-member band, all dressed in gray suits and wearing no shoes, through a choreographed night that includes shadowplay and innovative lighting. Everyone holds their instruments (including strapped-up drummers) and stands (or dances) during the performance. It is an enhanced version of Byrne’s 2018 tour of over 150 dates that took him to 27 countries.
The 21 song night includes classics from Byrne’s old outfit Talking Heads (the earliest being “Don’t Worry About The Government” from the group’s 1977 debut) through his 2018 solo album American Utopia. Radio hits like “Burning Down the House” and “Road To Nowhere” are sprinkled in with deep cuts like “Born Under Punches (The Beat Goes On).”
There are some covers along the way, including a rousing version of the protest song ““Hell You Talmbout” sung with the blessing of Janelle Monáe. The song lists the names of African American men and women who have died after violent encounters, mostly with law enforcement.
David Byrne is no stranger to movies. The 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense, directed by Jonathan Demme, regularly rests atop lists of the best ever in the genre. In 1986 Byrne directed the oddball, music-heavy comedy True Stories starring John Goodman, Spalding Gray, Swoosie Kurtz, and Pops Staples. He’s also directed many of his own music videos (including the brilliant “(Nothing But) Flowers” and “She’s Mad“), the 1994 concert film Between the Teeth and produced the 2016 high school color guard celebration film Contemporary Color.
Spike Lee, who will be the Cannes Jury President this May, is similarly no stranger to theater. He adapted Stew’s Broadway show Passing Strange in 2009, and in 1998 brought John Leguizamo’s one-man-show Freak to HBO. He also directed the concert film The Original Kings of Comedy, featuring Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, D.L. Hughley, and Bernie Mac in 2000. Additionally, there’s the slew of music videos under his belt for artists including Michael Jackson, Eminem, Prince and the New Power Generation, Naughty By Nature, Public Enemy, and Fishbone.
“Pinch me,” Byrne said in a statement to Deadline on Friday. “This couldn’t have worked out better for this project.”
No release date has been set, but we’re ready to take bets on what’s going to be the most dazzling moment from Spike’s adaptation. The smart money’s on “I Zimbra.” Either way, it’s going to be great to have something a little more high def than these camera phone clips on YouTube.