A brand-new documentary about The Beach Boys will premiere May 24 exclusively on the Disney+ streaming service. Titled, simply, The Beach Boys, the film will delve into the band’s history, beginning with the group’s origins, as the Wilson brothers teamed up with their cousin Mike Love and classmate Al Jardine as teenagers.
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The movie will feature previously archival footage, as well as new interviews with all of the core surviving early Beach Boys members—Brian Wilson, Love, Jardine, David Marks, and Bruce Johnston. The doc also will feature commentary from some noteworthy figures from the music world, among them ex-Fleetwood Mac member Lindsey Buckingham, Janelle Monáe, OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder, and producer/musician Don Was.
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The Beach Boys also include archival interviews with Brian’s late brothers, Carl and Dennis Wilson, as well as a new interview with former Beach Boy and current Brian Wilson band touring member Blondie Chaplin. In addition, the documentary will feature audio from Ricky Fataar, who played with the group from 1971 to 1974.
The film was co-directed by Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny. Marshall’s previous credits include Arachnophobia, Alive, and the documentaries The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart and Carole King & James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name. Zimny has worked on several documentaries and concert films focusing on Bruce Springsteen, including the Emmy-winning Netflix special Springsteen on Broadway.
The Beach Boys was written by Mark Monroe, a veteran screenwriter whose resume includes The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart and The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years.
New Beach Boys Releases Due Out Soon
Coinciding with the documentary’s premiere, an official soundtrack album for The Beach Boys that features songs heard in the film will be released May 24 as a digital download and via streaming services. In addition, the band’s 1964 album Shut Down, Vol. 2 will be released this Friday, March 29, as a limited-edition LP pressed on blue-and-white-marble vinyl. You can pre-order the albums now.
Also, the band’s only official book, titled The Beach Boys by The Beach Boys, will be released April 2 via Genesis Publications. The 408-page tome also can be pre-ordered now.
The Beach Boys’ 2024 Tour
The Beach Boys’ current incarnation, led by Love and Johnston, continues to tour regularly. The band currently has more than 60 dates lined up in 2024, spanning from an April 25 appearance at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival through a September 23 show at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
Tickets for The Beach Boys’ concerts are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
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