After winning an Oscar for directing “Summer of Soul,” Questlove looked way down in his heart and soul for his next project and landed on a documentary about the legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire. Questlove, who described himself as having “been baptized in the afrocentric joy river of this powerhouse unit,” announced the news on social media.
“Coming in 2025…..the definitive story of the elements….. The story of how a band led by a genius from Chicago changed our way of thinking, our minds and our hearts,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Having been baptized in the afrocentric joy river of this powerhouse unit, I’ve learned about them, I’ve learned about us & more importantly I’ve learned about and rediscovered myself in the process.”
“I’m so excited to be directing a documentary preserving their positive but VERY vulnerable and real story of Soul, Self & Struggle. This is the story of joy, persistence, love, pain, magic and self discovery. This is Earth, Wind & Fire,” he concluded.
The documentary will explore the band’s legacy through archival written and video footage as well as through exclusive interviews. Earth, Wind & Fire began as the Salty Peppers in Chicago before Maurice White’s made an astrologically-influenced decision to change the group’s name before the release of their first album in 1971.
The band went on to sell nearly 100 million records, win 6 Grammys, and had 11 albums go gold or platinum.
RadicalMedia, Two One Five Entertainment, Broken Halo Entertainment, and Kinfolk Management + Media will produce the film with Fifth Season on board as financial backers.
Questlove, RadicalMedia’s Dave Sirulnick and Samantha Grogin, Broken Halo Entertainment’s KB White, (son of Maurice White), and Arron Saxe of Kinfolk Management + Media are also onboard as producers.
