A Barbra-Approved Barbra Streisand Documentary Is in the Works
Frank Marshall will direct the project, which has been given extensive access to the stage and screen star’s personal archives.
Barbra Streisand in the Broadway production of Funny Girl
A multi-part documentary covering the life and career of stage and screen icon Barbra Streisand is now in development, to be directed by Frank Marshall and produced by Alex Gibney. The project has been given extensive access to Streisand’s personal archives, including never-before-seen video footage, photographs, audio recordings, and personal keepsakes. The series will pair them with contemporary interviews to dig into Streisand’s past and present.
The project is a joint venture between Sony Music Vision, Columbia Records, Jigsaw Productions, and The Kennedy/Marshall Company. Along with Gibney, producers include Marshall, Aly Parker, Michele Farinola, Tom Mackay, and Jay Landers. Sony Music Vision in partnership with Columbia Records (Streisand’s label) will present and distribute.
“For years I’ve been thinking about the best way to share the vast amount of content I’ve been safely storing in my vault,” says Streisand in a statement. “These films, photos, and music masters—many never seen or heard by the public—hold some of my most cherished memories. I’m so pleased that producer Alex Gibney and director Frank Marshall have agreed to take this journey with me. My appreciation to Tom Mackay, head of Sony Music’s Premium Content team, for his belief in the project. And especially to Sony Music Chairman Rob Stringer who has unwaveringly supported so many of my creative endeavors.”
“I’m thrilled to be working with Alex again and to have the opportunity to bring Barbra’s incredible life story to the screen,” adds Marshall. “We have been given unprecedented access to archival footage from decades of her groundbreaking career and intimate visibility to the trailblazing she continues to do in life today. Uncovering these remarkable moments illustrate why she has become an enduring icon to a global audience of all generations.”
Born and raised in Brooklyn, Streisand made her Broadway debut in 1962’s I Can Get It For You Wholesale, making her supporting role a stand-out with her comedic song “Miss Marmelstein.” Riding that wave, she was propelled into international superstardom with her next stage role, vaudevillian comic Fanny Brice in the original 1964 production of Funny Girl. She would make her feature film debut four years later, reprising her performance in the musical’s screen adaptation, and followed that starring in movie versions of Broadway’s Hello, Dolly! and On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Streisand has stayed in Hollywood ever since, becoming one of the screen’s biggest stars and an accomplished director as well. Boasting a career that has also included numerous award-winning albums and sold-out concert tours, Streisand is an EGOT winner that has been honored with two Academy Awards, five Emmys, 10 Grammys, and a Tony Award.
No release timeline has been yet revealed for the project.