CNN FILMS & HBO Max Commission Carole King & James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name From The Kennedy / Marshall Company
New Documentary Directed By Frank Marshall
CNN Films and HBO Max have commissioned a new concert documentary feature about the creative partnership of renowned music artists Carole King and James Taylor. CAROLE KING & JAMES TAYLOR: Just Call Out My Name is directed and produced by Frank Marshall, and produced by Aly Parker (Jay-Z: Legacy; The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) and The Kennedy / Marshall Company. HBO Max holds domestic SVOD streaming and international distribution rights to the film. CAROLE KING & JAMES TAYLOR: Just Call Out My Name will premiere on CNN.
“I’ve been listening to and playing their music my whole life, so it’s especially meaningful to me and such an honor to be able to put together this special reunion concert by these two extraordinarily gifted friends,” said Frank Marshall (The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart; The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash; The Bourne Identity), director and producer, CAROLE KING & JAMES TAYLOR: Just Call Out My Name.
At the genesis of their now 50 years of friendship and collaboration, six-time Grammy® Award-winner James Taylor and four-time Grammy® Award-winner Carole King, famously performed together in 1970 at The Troubadour, the storied Los Angeles club. The pair came together to reprise that concert for The Troubadour’s own 50th anniversary in 2007. As Taylor recalls in the film, those 2007 performances including “So Far Away,” “I Feel the Earth Move,” and “You’ve Got a Friend,” during six sold out concerts, were so much fun, that he and King hatched plans for a 2010 world tour. CAROLE KING & JAMES TAYLOR: Just Call Out My Name documents the beloved songwriters’ triumphant 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour of arena concerts around the world.
The famed musicians of ‘The Section,’ comprised of Danny Kortchmar, Russ Kunkel, and Lee Sklar, backed the duo in each of the 1970, 2007, and 2010 shows. They reflect upon their shared music and performances through the decades for the film. CAROLE KING & JAMES TAYLOR: Just Call Out My Name is a celebration of music, memories, and melodies for fans both new and across the years.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with Frank Marshall and The Kennedy / Marshall Company for this brilliant look into one of the most prolific music partnerships of a generation,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development. “Frank’s discerning vision shows fans the stories behind the legendary creative teamwork of Carole King and James Taylor,” Entelis said. Entelis and Courtney Sexton, senior vice president for CNN Films, are both executive producers for the film.
The commission deal for CAROLE KING & JAMES TAYLOR: Just Call Out My Name was negotiated by Stacey Wolf, senior vice president of business affairs, and Kelly MacLanahan, assistant general counsel, both for CNN Worldwide, on behalf of CNN Films.
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About CNN Films
CNN Films produces and acquires documentary feature and short films for theatrical and festival exhibition and distribution across CNN’s multiple platforms. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content development, oversees the strategy for CNN Films; Courtney Sexton, senior vice president for CNN Films, works day-to-day with filmmakers to oversee projects. For more information about CNN Films, please visit www.CNN.com/CNNFilms, follow @CNNFilms via Twitter, and join Keep Watching, an exclusive, members-only community for CNN Films & CNN Original Series https://cnn.it/3qTScB4. Acclaimed CNN Films include the Academy Award®-nominated, BAFTA-nominated, and Emmy® Award-winning RBG, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen; the Emmy® Award-winning APOLLO 11, directed by Todd Douglas Miller; JIMMY CARTER: Rock & Roll President, directed by Mary Wharton; THE LOST SONS, directed by Ursula Macfarlane; DREAMLAND: The Burning of Black Wall Street, directed by Salima Koroma; LADY BOSS: The Jackie Collins Story, directed by Laura Fairrie; and, JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE, directed by Dawn Porter.
About HBO Max
HBO Max® is WarnerMedia’s direct-to-consumer platform, offering best in class quality entertainment. HBO Max features the greatest array of storytelling for all audiences from the iconic brands of HBO, Warner Bros., DC, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies and much more. The streaming platform launched in the United States in May 2020 and introduced an advertising-supported subscription tier in June 2021. HBO Max recently began its global roll out launching in 39 markets across Latin America and the Caribbean, and will be followed by the replacement of HBO-branded streaming services in Europe later this year.
About The Kennedy / Marshall Company
Established in 1991 by veteran producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, The Kennedy/Marshall Company is behind award-winning films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Lincoln, and Sully as well as blockbuster franchises like Jurassic World and Jason Bourne. In 2012, the Documentary Division was created to tell non-fiction stories with the same passion and expertise. Past projects include Sinatra: All or Nothing at All (HBO), Finding Oscar (Amazon), The China Hustle (Magnolia), Satan & Adam (Netflix), The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash (YouTube), the Emmy-nominated docuseries Laurel Canyon: A Place in Time (EPIX), and most recently the Emmy-winning The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (HBO).
Contacts
Jennifer Dargan, CNN Films jennifer.dargan@warnermedia.com
Allison Elbl, Shore Fire Media (James Taylor) aelbl@shorefire.com
Ashley Mokma, HBO Max ashley.mokma@warnermedia.com
Mark Satlof, Shore Fire Films (Carole King) msatlof@shorefire.com