The news flicks by without raising any bells – of course Sony is making a concert film to showcase the world’s (current) biggest boy band, One Direction. Of course this film will be in 3D and of course it will open on a holiday weekend (on August 30, 2013, just in time for Labor Day, as it were). And of course this film will be directed by Morgan Spurlock. Wait, what?
Yet, as insane as this news might be at first blush (and, we’ll admit, we stared at its announcing press release slack-jawed for at least ten minutes), it’s hard to deny that Spurlock’s Super-Size Me and Where in the World is Osama bin Laden? days are long over. Spurlock’s work has rarely been close to truly “hard-hitting” (who among us has not eaten McDonald’s for weeks at a time? let you cast the first stone), but his films have steadily been declining in terms of seriousness and and wide-ranging import for quite some time, shrinking his audience to nothing short of niche levels (Comic-Con Episode IV: A Fan’s Hope didn’t even break the bank for either Comic-Con or Star Wars fans). Why not direct something guaranteed to bring out screaming, poster-shaking teenagers eager to spend their almighty dollars?
In short, why not direct a One Direction 3D concert film?
Of the project, Spurlock said: “This is an incredible opportunity and an amazing moment in time for the band…To capture this journey and share it with audiences around the world will be an epic undertaking that I am proud to be a part of.” A surely be-t-shirted Simon Cowell (who will produce the project) piped in, “I’m delighted we’re making this film and Morgan is the perfect person to give that access-all-areas, behind-the-scenes look into what it’s like to be One Direction today. What the band have achieved is incredible, they and their fans have made history around the world – this is for them.” You guys, you’re fans! You’re Direction-ers!
If you’re not familiar with One Direction, congrats, you’re not thirteen-years-old (what a terrible age), and today’s press release on the project provides some quick hit insights:
“One Direction – Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson – were discovered by Simon Cowell on the U.K.’s ‘The X Factor’ in 2010. The band quickly gained a following to become one of the competition’s all-time most popular acts, finishing in the final three and garnering a gigantic and loyal fanbase along the way. In March 2012, One Direction’s debut album, ‘Up All Night,’ made U.S. history, as it was the first time a U.K. group’s debut album entered the U.S. Billboard 200 chart at No. 1. The band has sold over 13 million records worldwide. Today, One Direction released their sophomore album, ‘Take Me Home,’ which includes the No. 1 single, ‘Live While We’re Young.’”
They are also like, ohmahgod, super-hot. A concert film is a no-brainer, but the film’s still-ten-months-on release date does raise a very valid question: will One Direction still be popular in August of next year? [Press Release]