Magnolia Pictures Buys ‘The World According to Allee Willis,’ Documentary About Writer Behind ‘Friends’ Theme Song and ‘September’ (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comBrent Lang Executive Editor Magnolia Pictures has acquired North American rights to “The World According to Allee Wilis,” a new documentary about the musical powerhouse best known for writing the “Friends” theme song and Earth Wind & Fire’s “September.” The film, which is directed by Alexis Spraic, had its world premiere at SXSW and has been hitting the festival circuit.
It most recently screened at the Provincetown Film Festival, and will next be showcased at Frameline. The documentary features interviews with musicians, artists and power players such as Mark Cuban, Cyndi Lauper, Lily Tomlin, Paul Reubens, Michael Patrick King, Patti LaBelle, Pet Shop Boys, Pamela Adlon, Paul Feig and Mark Mothersbaugh (Mothersbaugh also composed the music for the film).
The filmmakers say that Willis, who always dressed in “a cacophony of prints and colors” and boasted a “signature asymmetrical haircut,” had a public persona that was brashly confident.
However, privately, Willis struggled with not fitting established gender and sexual norms. She buried herself in her work, writing hit songs for the likes of Dusty Springfield and Cyndi Lauper and co-writing the Broadway musical “The Color Purple,” but it took finding true love to help her discover self-acceptance.
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