The Greatest Night in Pop director Bao Nguyen has been tapped to helm Jimi, a feature documentary about the origin story for the legendary rock star Jimi Hendrix.
Authorized for the first time by the Jimi Hendrix estate, the film is produced by Network Entertainment, financier Double Agent and Experience Hendrix.
“Telling the story of Jimi Hendrix during his pivotal years in London is both a profound honor and a unique responsibility. London has always been a city that inspires me. Having lived there, I felt a deep connection to its creative energy, much like Jimi did when his creativity reached extraordinary heights,” Nguyen said in a statement on Friday.
The director was recently nominated for three Emmys for his work on The Greatest Night in Pop. Produced with Lionel Richie, the film recalled the making of a benefit single for African famine relief and the superstar artists that shaped the song into one of the fastest-selling pop songs of all time, “We Are the World.”
His other documentary credits include Live From New York!, the Tribeca title that celebrated 40 years of Saturday Night Live, and Be Water, a film about Bruce Lee for ESPN.
Nguyen’s latest project will chronicle the rise of Hendrix as the unsung sideman Jimmy James arriving in 1960s London and achieving breakout success when performing at the Monterey Pop Festival. At the heigh of his fame, Hendrix died from a drug overdose in 1970.
Jimi will feature interviews, never-before-seen photos and archival footage to portray the famed guitarist.
Producers on Jimi are Derik Murray, Dana O’Keefe and Janie Hendrix, while Yariv Milchan, Natalie Lehmann, Teddy Schwarzman, Michael Heimler, Brian Gersh, Colin Smeeton, Matthew Gross and Ryan Beedie will executive produce.
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