Elvis '68 Comeback Documentary & Book (authorized)
Elvis Comeback Special director and producer, Steve Binder has partnered with Spencer and Meteor 17 and put together the authorized, definitive table top book on Binder’s making of the Special and all activities that led up to, were part of and happened, as a result of the landmark television event.
Amazon Pre-Buy. Director Baz Luhrmann has written an insightful Foreword for the book.
The team is bringing the book to life in the Authorized Documentary on the heels of Baz Luhrmann’s definitive Elvis movie featuring Tom Hanks as Presley manager, Colonel Tom Parker coming, June 24, 2022. https://www.closerweekly.com/posts/tom-hanks-playing-colonel-tom-parker-elvis-presley-biopic/
A unique blend of past and present, told through an avant-garde filmmaking style, our documentary will transcend the genre.
Dacre Montgomery (a Stranger Things star) who portrays Binder in the Baz WB feature with Tom Hanks, will be greeted by Steve at the same NBC Studios/Sound Stage where Steve directed the Special. Dacre Montgomery cast as Binder in WB movie
They will tour the stage where the Special was filmed, the dressing room and all surrounding areas as only Binder can show. Steve will share how he coached and prepped Elvis, as we walk through a set from the original Special. The interactions between Binder and Dacre as Binder will demonstrate and bring to life the interplay and conversations between Binder and Elvis over 50 years earlier. Their interplay and dialog will be a guide to our viewers, of that historic process. Given that Dacre is in fact, the actor Baz Luhrmann selected to play Steve in his movie, the process makes this segment of our documentary totally organic.
We will then enter the actual sound stage where a giant video screen will be set up for Steve and Dacre. Once Steve pushes play, the actual and up rez’d original Elvis Comeback Special will be seen by our viewers.
All rights to exhibit both the real Elvis footage and the music, have been licensed and cleared, worldwide, in perpetuity.
By the end of our film, audiences will see how the influence of Elvis continues to resonate and how a 53 year-old television event changed the course of music, pop-culture forever. It will center on the making of the Special and Binder’s role as director/producer, teaming up with Elvis in a true buddy story, that helped inform the course of pop music history.
The original Elvis Special inspired the 2019 NBC Special, where the Ken Ehrlich production paid homage to the music from the highly watched and lauded show. It was hosted by Blake Shelton. John Legend, Ed Sheeran, Post Malone, Jennifer Lopez, Darius Rucker and others performed their own, unique versions of classic Elvis songs from the Special. https://www.nbc.com/elvis-all-star-tribute/about.
ELVIS, THE COMEBACK will highlight Steve's interface with Elvis on the production process to accomplish an evergreen and game changer result. The documentary will also showcase many new filming innovations, such as capturing an artist performing music unplugged as well as the first use of handheld cameras to film music performance, all pioneered by Binder.
Binder has The most unique and informed perspective on how this landmark show was made and the events which transpired during production. Elvis bravely stood up and supported Steve in order to have the Special completed and broadcast. The success of this Comeback show propelled the course of Elvis' life and career to the next level.
All of these activities are highlighted in the book and will be key components of the documentary.
This never before told perspective will be at the heart of the documentary. The film will enlighten and inform Elvis fans throughout the world with a behind the scenes look at this seminal moment of pop music media history. By the end of our film, audiences will see how the influence of Elvis continues to resonate and how a 53 year-old television event changed the course of music, pop-culture forever. It will center on the making of the Special and Binder’s role as director/producer, teaming up with Elvis in a true buddy story, that helped inform the course of pop music history.
The Proffer produced documentary will have a one night event exhibition on 860 US screens and 1250 internationally via Spencer’s 5 year AMC/ Regal/Cinemark Fathom agreement (https://www.meteor17.com/fathom-events). It will then go out for a 2 week limited, Academy Award qualifying run in select markets, followed by exhibition via a leading SVOD outlet, such as Paramount +, AppleTV+/Amazon Prime/Netflix/ or Hulu. All of them are keen for fresh content which can be produced in these challenging times.
In August, 2018, Spencer teamed up with Fathom Events & Marc Rosen, President of Entertainment at the Authentic Brands Group, to produce the highly successful exhibition of the original, Steve Binder directed NBC Special. It played on 2382 movie screens, 32 territories around the world. 227,450 tickets were sold. 2 nights. This two night presentation was the Top Performing Music Event in theaters for the entire 2018 year, worldwide.
The 12x12, fully authorized Elvis/Binder Comeback book will be released to the public at large via Readerlink, the leading book supplier to Walmart, Costco and Target accounts as well as other major retail outlets on April 12, 2022.
https://www.amazon.com/Elvis-68-Comeback-Steve-Binder/dp/1645176738/ref=pd_lpo_1?pd_rd_i=1645176738&psc=1
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/81180-readerlink-revenue-hits-1-2-billion.html
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/71641-how-readerlink-became-the-main-book-distributor-to-non-bookstore-retailers.html
A spoken word version of the book via Amazon’s Audible division, will also follow, to coincide with our documentary film’s release. The audio book contains actual excerpts from the Special, woven in with actor/musician Dennis Quaid, reading Binder’s words plus unique interviews with Elvis himself speaking about his career. All of which will tie into Binder's documentary and Baz’s WB film .M17 long time art director, Hugh Syme (http://www.meteor17.com/hugh-syme/), designed the stunning look and feel of the 192 page collector’s item book which includes commentaries, interviews and never before seen memorabilia presented to Binder by both Elvis and Colonel Tom Parker.
Grammy winning book manufacturing enterprise, Integrated Communications (http://icla.com), widely known for producing high quality limited edition collections for major music artists and companies (Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Universal Music Enterprises, Concord Music Group, and Warner Music Group), worked closely with Proffer, Binder and Syme for nearly 2 years, in organizing the design of the book as well.
Here are a few prototype models of book packages that form the basis of our Elvis Comeback Book package:
https://www.rush.com/the-art-of-rush/
https://www.rushbackstage.com/rushbackstage/media-260/rush-sheet-music/art-of-rush-european-edition.html
JOHN LENNON BOOK BOX: http://imaginepeace.com/archives/11806 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx7m5Rjj57U
Here is an interview with Steve Binder in Rolling Stone magazine which also embeds 3 minutes of the Proffer produced mini documentary of Priscilla Presley and Steve Binder visiting the site of the NBC Studios speaking about Elvis and the making of the Special. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/revisiting-elvis-presleys-68-comeback-special-with-its-director-706220/.
The full 20 minute piece was seen on 2382 theater screens around the world, as part of the global Fathom theatrical event. It will be made available to consumers at large when Readerlink releases the book to the public in 2021.
The following link is to another high profile article from Rolling Stone Magazine, highlighting the relevance to audiences today and the importance to Elvis' career of this iconic Comeback TV special, directed and produced by Binder.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/inside-elvis-presleys-legendary-1968-comeback-special-w477303?utm_source=rsnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=081617_11
