Apple TV+ has just released the trailer for their upcoming music documentary, The Velvet Underground. From director Todd Haynes, the film explores the band's early days, as they rose through New York City's 1960s art scene to become one of the most influential groups in rock history.
By turns alluring and insightful, the trailer introduces some of the narrative elements of the film. These include documentary mainstays like archival footage and interviews with key figures in the band's history, but Haynes has also uncovered never-before-seen performances, recordings, and experimental art from the band's contemporaries. The doc also features footage from films by the band's equally famous manager, pop artist Andy Warhol. The effect is an almost otherworldly reality, filtered through the creative minds of the art world the band inhabited.
Haynes, whose work includes the unconventional Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, as well as early music videos for Sonic Youth, clearly has an affinity for music and experimentation. It's no wonder, then, that he would be so drawn to The Velvet Underground. "They’re life-changing," Haynes said of the band when Collider spoke with him back in 2019. "They altered the way you see and hear things and, of course, affected music and generations of artists, ever since they first appeared. You can’t overstate their influence."
Hailing from Apple Original Films, in association with Polygram Entertainment, Motto Pictures, Killer Films, and Federal Films, the documentary debuted at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival in July. Haynes produced the film, alongside longtime collaborator Christine Vachon. They're joined by documentary producers Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, and David Blackman. Executive producing are Michele Anthony, Danny Bennett, Pamela Koffler, and John Sloss.
The Velvet Underground arrives in select theaters and on Apple TV+ on October 15. Check out the trailer below.
Here's the official synopsis for the film:
The Velvet Underground created a new sound that changed the world of music, cementing its place as one of rock ’n’ roll’s most revered bands. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes, “The Velvet Underground” shows just how the group became a cultural touchstone representing a range of contradictions: the band is both of their time, yet timeless; literary yet realistic; rooted in high art and street culture.
