Bob Dylan, Martin Scorsese to re-team for Netflix’s Rolling Thunder Revue

As I sit here in my office, drinking One More Cup of Coffee, experiencing Visions of Johanna while thinking of how much Things Have Changed this past year, I'd realized that The Man In Me is craving a new music icon doumentary like there's no tomorrow. After all, no one remains Forever Young for too long, so we might as well experience as much refined music as we can before we're nothing but dust Blowin In The Wind.

Thankfully, Netflix has proverbially come Knockin' On Heaven's Door by announcing that legendary folk singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and acclaimed filmmaker Martin Scorsese are reuniting for a new Netflix documentary about the life and times of the The Voice of Protest himself. The film, titled ROLLING THUNDER REVUE: A BOB DYLAN STORY BY MARTIN SCORSESE will chronicle Dylan's 1975-1976 tour, the Rolling Thunder Revue, in addition to sharing concert footage and interviews centering on The Bard of Blues. Also planned for the Netflix presentation is a rare on-camera interview with Dylan.

Here's the official word from Netflix:

"Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese’ captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year. Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, ‘Rolling Thunder’ is a one of a kind experience, from master filmmaker Martin Scorsese.”

This isn't the first time that Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour has been the focus of a film. While bringing the performance to cities across the nation, Dylan assembled a group of world-class musicians to record with him, which ultimately lead to the musician's 1978 film RENALDO AND CLARA. The film that gave fans a behind-the-scenes look into the mind and spirit of Dylan also contained a collection of documentary segments in additon to a faux-performance by "Rompin' Ronnie" Hawkins, a rockabilly legend and core member of The Band.

Once complete, ROLLING THUNDER REVUE: A BOB DYLAN STORY BY MARTIN SCORSESE will stand as the second Dylan documentary helmed by Scorsese, who in 2005 released NO DIRECTION HOME: BOB DYLAN, a presentation that highlighted the rock n roll icon's foray into electric music.

While the list of interview guests for the new doc has yet to be confirmed, Variety has pointed out that the following artists were all caught on camera during Dylan's Rolling Thuder Revuew tour: Joan Baez (reuniting with Dylan for duets after a long gap), band leader Bob Neuwirth, Roger McGuinn, T Bone Burnett, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Ronee Blakley, Mick Ronson, Scarlet Rivera, Allen Ginsberg and Sam Shepard (who published a book about the tour in 1977). Others showing up for isolated shows or appearing in the studio included Joni Mitchell, Ringo Starr, Patti Smith, Bette Midler, Kinky Friedman, Dennis Hopper and Phil Ochs.

ROLLING THUNDER REVUE: A BOB DYLAN STORY BY MARTIN SCORSESE is expected to debut on Netflix in 2019.

Source: Variety

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.