A new documentary about Avicii, the late Swedish DJ who became an international phenomenon in the 2010s, is underway, with Lawrence Bender, known for his many projects with Quentin Tarantino, and longtime talent manager Orlando John as producing partners. John will co-direct the film with Jonas Trukanas.
“Avicii changed the music industry,” said John, a Dutch talent manager who works with musician Wyclef Jean, actor Joel Kinnaman and others. “People think they know the story, but they have really no clue as to what actually happened. I feel a profound responsibility to ensure that it’s told accurately andobjectively.This documentary will give theaudiences a deeper understanding of the brand that left an indelible mark on music and culture.”
Said Bender, the producer of “Good Will Hunting,” “Pulp Fiction” and many other dramatic feature films, as well as the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth”: “What got me excited was not just the story of Avicii, but also the take Orlando had as a director,. It’s that take that’s going to make this eye-opening.”
The announcement about this new project emphasizes that the film will delve into how the celebrated DJ, born Tim Bergling, rose to fame with the help of Ash Pournouri, who discovered the DJ in 2008 and managed him until a split in 2016. The doc is said to include previously unreleased footage and fresh interviews with Avicii’s family and friends, as well as fellow stars of the EDM world like Sebastian Ingrosso and Axwell of Swedish House Mafia.
This marks the second Avicii documentary known to be in production. In 2021, Avicii’s estate announced that a new documentary was going into production, to be directed by Björn Tjärnberg and Henrik Burman. At that time, a release date was projected for 2023, but no further details about the film or its possible release date have been announced.
Avicii’s story attracted cinematic attention before Bergling died by suicide in April 2018 at age 28. Months prior to his death, in 2017, a documentary titled “Avicii: True Stories” was released, directed by friend Levan Tsikurishvili, who trained his camera on the artist for years, including capturing his mental health-driven decision to quit touring in 2016.
The DJ continues to be a source of fascination for fans, five years after his death. A museum, the Avicii Experience, opened in the performer’s native Stockholm in 2021 and draws visitors from around the world.
