Questlove has revealed that he will direct an upcoming documentary about Earth, Wind & Fire.
The Roots drummer, who is also working on a Sly Stone doc, fittingly made the announcement on Saturday (Sept. 21) through his Instagram account, noting that the EWF project is slated for 2025 and will be the “definitive story” of the iconic R&B band.
“The story of how a band led by a genius from Chicago changed our way of thinking, our minds and our hearts,” Questlove wrote alongside a teaser clip. “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 about and rediscovered myself in the process.”
The Grammy- and Oscar-winning filmmaker added, “I’m so excited to be directing a documentary preserving their positive but VERY vulnerable and real story of Soul, Self & Struggle. This is the story of joy, persistence, love, pain, magic and self discovery. This is Earth, Wind & Fire.”
Questlove’s Earth, Wind & Fire doc will also include exclusive access to the group’s archives of visual, audio and written material, along with the approval of the estate of Maurice White and the band, according to a press release (per The Hollywood Reporter).
Earth, Wind & Fire’s Philip Bailey, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson said in a joint statement, “We look forward to this in-depth journey of our band, and are so excited to have Questlove directing the documentary.”
With classics including “Shining Star,” “Let’s Groove,” “Reasons” and “September,” the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees have topped Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart eight times, earned seven top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and sold more than 90 million albums around the globe.
Questlove took home an Oscar for best documentary feature in 2022 for Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), which he directed and executive produced.
See Questlove’s announcement on Instagram below.
