Netflix To Release Edgar Wright’s ‘The Sparks Brothers’ Documentary

Netflix has acquired the SVOD rights to The Sparks Brothers after the Edgar Wright-directed documentary was released this summer. The documentary tells the story of the unique pop and rock duo that inspired many other musicians, including the Beatles.

Netflix to release The Sparks Brothers docu

The documentary film The Sparks Brothers was first released at the Sundance Film Festival at the start of the year. The movie then went on to get a wide release in June 2021. Directed by Edgar Wright, the documentary covers the careers of Ron and Russell Mael, the duo behind the rock and pop group Sparks.

The American pop and rock duo started out in Los Angeles in 1966. The duo consists of Ron on keyboards and Russell on vocals. Meanwhile, the brothers are known for their quirky approach to songwriting. This consists of sophisticated and acerbic lyrics and comic settings. Readers can watch a music video for one of their numbers here.

The brothers are known for lyrics about women, often with Shakespearean literature references. In their stage presence, the brothers are in contrast, with Ron’s deadpan scowling and Russell’s animated frontman antics. As to their music, Russell has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron’s keyboard-playing style is intricate and rhythmic.

While Sparks was more successful in Europe, they also maintain a loyal cult following in their native US. In fact, the brothers moved from the US to England in 1973.

About the documentary

Ron and Russell are present throughout the documentary, along with interviews with Steve Jones, Beck, Andy Bell and Gillian Gilbert. Other people interviewed include Thurston Moore, Alex Kapranos, Stephen Morris and more. The trailer also points to Ron and Russell’s influence on other pop and rock artists and musicians, including the Beatles.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, long-term Edgar Wright collaborators, also feature in the documentary. The trio voiced animated segments of the Cornetto trilogy, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End.

So far, the reviews are good, with Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian writing, “This is a film that loves its subjects and only someone with a biological revulsion to catchy pop or grand rock theatrics will dislike the film.” Currently, The Sparks Brothers holds a 7.9 on IMDb and an 80 on Metacritic.

It is interesting to note that Edgar Wright now has an output deal with Netflix with many ongoing adaptations, including Lockwood & Co. The latter has been filming throughout 2021. Other projects he is working on with Netflix include The Murders of Molly Southbourne and The City of Brass.

Outside of his work with the streaming channel, Wright is involved in a number of movie projects. These include The Chain for Universal Pictures and The Running Man for Paramount.

Readers can watch the trailer for The Sparks Brothers here.

Readers, are the pop and rock fans among you looking forward to seeing The Sparks Brothers on Netflix? The documentary drops on the streaming channel on October 28, 2021.