HBO Acquires Rights To James Brown Doc

HBO has acquired the U.S. and Canadian TV rights to the feature-length documentary Mr. Dynamite: The Rise Of James Brown, the network said Thursday.

The full-length documentary, produced by Mick Jagger and produced by Alex Gibney, features rare and never-before-seen footage of the “Godfather of Soul” as well as his performances at the Apollo Theater and Paris Olympia, said HBO officials.

The documentary comes on the heels of the Brown feature length movie Get On Up, which has grossed $29 million at the box office since its release last month.

 “Alex Gibney has brought his prodigious filmmaking talents to this portrait of the phenomenon known as James Brown,” says Michael Lombardo, president, HBO programming in a statement. “Together with Mick Jagger and his incredible producing team, they have created a captivating portrait of an artist – both the musician and the man.”

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.