John Prine’s songwriting legacy and recent resurgence will be the focus of an upcoming documentary titled John Prine: Hello in There.
Sony Pictures Classics announced Saturday that it had acquired the film, which was directed by Zachary Fuhrer and produced by Rolling Stone‘s Patrick Doyle.
“The movie began filming John as he prepared to release his first album of new songs in 13 years, and follows him throughout a remarkable resurgence that has taken him from Radio City Music Hall to the Songwriters Hall of Fame,” Sony Pictures Classics said of the film. “With the complete support of the Prine family, the filmmakers conducted extensive interviews with Prine’s friends and peers; including young songwriters he helped shape, such as Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell and Margo Price.”
Doyle added, “Spending time with John Prine over the last year, we’ve learned that he is just as insightful — and hilarious — in everyday life as he is in his songs. From playing at pubs in western Ireland to the Ryman Auditorium, there is nobody better at spellbinding a room. For the last 50 years, he’s been a voice for the overworked, underpaid and forgotten, and our current political times have made his songs even more relevant. He is a Johnny Cash-level talent we are lucky to still have performing, and he was kind enough to let us in on his life: making breakfast at home in Nashville, preparing for the biggest show of his life at Radio City and more.”
John Prine: Hello in There is currently in post-production with a theatrical release planned.
Fuhrer said in a statement, “As John’s band members like to say, ‘There are two types of people: those who love John Prine and those who haven’t heard of him yet.’ John’s philosophy on life — finding comedy in tragedy — is the heart of the film; his stories a daily reminder that there’s always a way to laugh at your own misfortune.”