The Film Festival Darling is Set to Hit Theaters Throughout North America this Fall 

(New York, NY | August 6, 2024) Giant Pictures today announced the theatrical release of celebrated Luther Vandross documentary feature Luther: Never Too Much. From award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter, the film chronicles the life and career of the iconic artist Luther Vandross as he charts his own course, becoming one of the most decorated and influential singers of all time.  

Luther: Never Too Much made an impression on both audiences and critics during its bountiful festival run this year: after its World Premiere at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, the film made stops at the Tribeca Festival, Hot Docs International Film Festival, and Nantucket Film Festival, among many others. The film is set to release in theaters throughout North America this fall and will premiere on CNN, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and Max in 2025.

The film features new interviews with a wide spectrum of artists whose lives were deeply touched by Vandross, including Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx, Richard Marx, and Dionne Warwick, as well as over 40+ years of painstakingly curated Vandross archival footage. 

Dawn Porter said, “It was a joy to work on this film.  Luther was a spectacularly talented performer, composer and producer.  His influence was found in multiple genres, and it was a delight to discover each one.  It has been so much fun to see longtime fans remember why they love him,and new fans come to understand his brilliance.”  

Luther: Never Too Much lovingly shines a light on the Bronx-raised Vandross: the childhood Motown devotee, the budding music savant, the laser-eyed achiever, the undeniable talent. His career took off after he crashed a recording session for David Bowie’s Young Americans (1975) and ended up singing backup on the album, arranging the vocals, and having Bowie record one of his songs. He then became one of the most sought-after backup singers and record producers in the music industry, working with such artists as Chic, Dionne Warwick, Barbra Streisand, and Aretha Franklin. Vandross won eight Grammy Awards throughout his career, being nominated 31 times. Additionally, Vandross won eight American Music Awards, released 11 consecutive platinum/double platinum albums (13 overall) and achieved crossover status with eight Billboard Top 10 albums. And before any of this, Vandross and his band were recurring guest performers on Sesame Street when they were fresh out of high school.

Vandross’ hard work indeed paid off after his 1981 solo breakout R&B hit “Never Too Much,” and his stream of hits throughout the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early aughts, including “Here and Now” and “Dance with My Father.” While he was beloved by fans around the world (Oprah Winfrey being one of them, as revealed in the documentary), Luther: Never Too Much creates a layered portrayal of Vandross by exploring his personal life, health struggles, and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved. The documentary is proof positive that Vandross’ legacy has endured long after his tragic death in 2005, with an infinite number of colleagues, friends, and fans who celebrate him every day and love him in any way, shape or form.

“The whole Giant Pictures team fell in love with Luther: Never Too Much following its stellar film festival run this year. The film is a huge crowd-pleaser and a must-see, not only for existing fans of Luther Vandross, but also for those discovering his incredible talents for the first time. We are excited to partner with Sony Music, Raindog Films and CNN Films on this nationwide theatrical release” said Nick Savva, General Manager of Giant Pictures.

The deal was negotiated by Savva on behalf of Giant Pictures with Sony Music Vision.

Directed and executive produced by Dawn Porter, Luther: Never Too Much is produced by Trish D Chetty and Ged Doherty for Raindog Films; Jamie Foxx and Datari Turner for Foxxhole Productions; and Leah Smith for Trilogy Films. Executive producers are Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman for Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction; Tom Mackay and Richard Story for Sony Music Entertainment; Jon Platt and Brian Monaco for Sony Music Publishing; Colin Firth for Raindog Films; and Phil Thornton on behalf of Foxxhole Productions. Sony Music Vision is the distributor. CNN Films and OWN hold television and SVOD rights for the US and Canada.

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About Giant Pictures

Giant Pictures is a leading independent distributor that partners with studios and filmmakers to release movies and documentaries in theaters and across all major streaming platforms. From management of classic content libraries to brand new movies and episodic series, we partner with rights owners to maximize the value of their content. Giant Pictures owns and operates specialty theatrical label, Drafthouse Films, and is the distribution and technology partner of the Tribeca Festival. Recent releases for Giant Pictures include Finding the Money directed by Maren Poitras, Nuclear Now directed by Oliver Stone, and the 2023 Academy Award ® nominated documentary, A House Made of Splinters. Learn more at www.giant.pictures

About CNN Originals  

The CNN Originals group develops, produces and acquires original, long-form unscripted programming for CNN Worldwide. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent, CNN Originals and creative development, oversees the award-winning CNN Originals portfolio that includes the following premium content brands: CNN Original Series, CNN Films, CNN Presents, and the newly formed CNN Studios, an internal production studio which creates long-form programming for CNN’s global platforms. Since 2012, the team has overseen and executive produced more than 45 multi-part documentary series and 60 feature-length documentary films, earning more than 110 awards and 445 nominations for the cable network, including CNN Films’ first Academy Award® for Navalny. Acclaimed titles include the Peabody Award winning and 13-time Emmy® Award-winning Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown; five time Emmy® nominee, Apollo 11, directed by Todd Douglas Miller; Emmy® nominated Eva Longoria: Searching for Mexico; the Emmy® Award-nominated “Decades Series”: The Sixties, The Seventies, The Eighties, The Nineties, The 2000s, and The 2010s, executive produced by Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman; The Last Movie Stars, directed by Ethan Hawke about the lives and careers of actors and humanitarians Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman; Grammy® Award nominee Little Richard: I Am Everything, directed by Lisa Cortés; The Many Lives of Martha Stewart; This is Life with Lisa Ling; Primetime Emmy® and duPont-Columbia Award-winning, RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen; See It Loud: The History of Black Television, executive produced by LeBron James and Maverick Carter; Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight in partnership with the BBC; the Producers Guild Award and three-time Emmy® Award-winning Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy; BAFTA nominee and Directors Guild Award winner, Three Identical Strangers, directed by Tim Wardle; and the five-time Emmy® Award-winning United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell; The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper; and Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?. CNN Originals can be seen on CNN, the CNN Original Hub on Max and discovery+, and for pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms.  

About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network 
OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey’s heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for premium scripted and unscripted programming from today’s most innovative storytellers. OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond. Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery. The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime on http://WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs.