Imagine Entertainment & White Horse Pictures Prep Pavarotti Doc

Ron Howard and Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment and Nigel Sinclair and Guy East’s White Horse Pictures are co-producing an authorized documentary based on the life of the late Italian opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

The feature-length film will be directed by Oscar winner Howard, who will produce alongside Sinclair, Grazer, Michael Rosenberg and Jeanne Elfant Festa. It will be made in association with Polygram Entertainment, a Universal Music Group partner, and STUDIOCANAL, who will co-finance. STUDIOCANAL and White Horse Pictures are also handling international sales, with the latter company managing North American distribution.

The doc is being produced with the full cooperation of the Pavarotti Estate, Universal Music Classics and Decca Records. It follows the success of Imagine Entertainment and White Horse Pictures’ collaboration on The Beatles: Eight Days a Week—The Touring Years.

Howard remarked: “Pavarotti’s life was replete with the highs and lows of great drama and, like any compelling character, he was also a man of considerable contradictions. His artistic ambition, propelled by his massive talent, and his deep love for humanity drove his career and the powerful bond with his audiences, but they also fueled his other life as a world philanthropist. I am intrigued by the way his emotional passion not only drove his music and his powerful bond with his audiences, but his gift of his other life as a philanthropist.”

Grazer noted: “This is a man who spent his life searching for success, searching for his soul, and seeking his own fulfillment, while the rest of us looked on in awe at his talent and enormous, magical personality.”

Sinclair added: “Pavarotti’s humble beginnings—the son of a baker, who grew up in a small town in Italy, and grew up to be one of the most acclaimed high classical artists in human history—is a truly powerful and life-affirming tale. It is great to reunite the team to tell the story of this incredible artist.”

Ron Halpern, the executive VP of international production and acquisitions, who will be following the project for STUDIOCANAL, said: “We all had such a great experience working together with Ron Howard, Brian Grazer and Nigel and Guy on The Beatles: Eight Days a Week and are excited to begin another film together so quickly. STUDIOCANAL and Universal Music have been working more and more together to find great film stories with Universal Music talent and Pavarotti is one of the most iconic musical figures of the last 50 years.”