Martin Scorsese set to direct documentary on Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue tour

[News]

It’s official: Martin Scorsese will be directing a long-rumored documentary on Bob Dylan’s iconic “Rolling Thunder Revue” tour for Netflix. Variety reports that the film, entitled Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese, will hopefully hit the streaming service sometime in 2019.

Netflix confirms that Dylan himself spoke in front of the camera for the film – a rarity for the legendary but reclusive songwriter. Variety also reports that a number of alumni from the period have been interviewed over the last few years as part of the production. Jeff Rosen, Dylan’s longtime manager who also participated in Scorsese’s 2005 film No Direction Home: Bob Dylan, conducted the majority of the interviews himself.

Unlike No Direction Home, which centered on the songwriter’s 1965-1966 electric era turning point, Rolling Thunder Revue is said to be less of a straightforward narrative. “There’s a reason the word ‘story’ appears in the title,” a source hinted to Variety.

Netflix also provides a brief synopsis of the new doc:

“Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year. Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, Rolling Thunder is a one of a kind experience, from master filmmaker Martin Scorsese.”

Scorsese is currently wrapping Netflix’s The Irishman, a feature-length drama set to star Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino, as well as include roles from Harvey Keitel, Bobby Cannavale, and Action Bronson.

Dylan’s latest album came in 2016 with Fallen Angels. For a deeper dive into Dylan’s most influential works, the debut season of the CPN podcast The Opus (hosted by Paula Meija) does a comprehensive interrogation into his 1975 classic Blood on the Tracks. Listen to the entire season on Spotify below.

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