A new documentary charting the history of Earth, Wind & Fire has been announced, and Ahmir ‘Questlove’ Thompson is on board to direct.
The new film is the first feature-length documentary profiling the iconic funk and disco band since 2001’s Shining Stars: The Official Story of Earth, Wind & Fire. Though a title has yet to be confirmed, Questlove fttingly teased the documentary on Instagram on 21st September with the promise that the documentary would be released in 2025.
Questlove has been granted exclusive access to the band’s archives of visual, audio, and written material, and has the full support of the estate of Maurice White and the band. White’s son, KB White’, has been named as one of the film’s producers alongside Arron Saxe of Kinfolk Management + Media.
Questlove commented: “Having been baptized in the Afrocentric joy river of this powerhouse unit, I’ve learned about them, I’ve learned about us & more importantly, I’ve learned and rediscovered myself in the process. I’m so excited to be part of the process of preserving their positive but very vulnerable and real story of Soul, Self & Struggle.”
Questlove, a six-time GRAMMY winner, won an oscar for Summer of Soul. He is also working on documentaries focusing on Sly Stone and J Dilla as well as a 'live-action/hybrid' adaptation of Disney's The Aristocats. Earlier this year, he published a book exploring the history and evolution of hip-hop.