Bono‘s ‘Stories of Surrender’ one-man stage show is set to be turned into an “immersive” documentary of the same name.
Directed by Andrew Dominik (who helmed Nick Cave documentaries One More Time With Feeling and This Much I Know To Be True as well as the Marilyn Monroe biopic Blonde), Bono: Stories of Surrender will serve as a vivid reimagining of Bono’s critically-acclaimed one-man stage show, Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief… It will also include unseen footage of the U2 frontman’s April 2023 residency at NYC’s Beacon Theatre in support of his book Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, A Memoir Told Through 40 U2 Songs.
The documentary is set for release on May 30 on Apple TV+. A press release adds that the film “pulls back the curtain on a remarkable life and the family, friends, and faith that have challenged and sustained him, revealing personal stories about his journey as a son, father, husband, activist and rockstar.”
It is also set to premiere on Apple Vision Pro the same day as the film’s release, marking the first feature-length film available in Apple Immersive Video. An abridged and updated paperback version of Bono’s memoir will also be released alongside the documentary film.
The paperback edition of Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, A Memoir Told Through 40 U2 Songs has been refined to mirror the arc of his one-man show and will feature a film tie-in book cover and new introduction by the singer.
In a four-star review of Bono’s one-man show at the London Palladium back in 2022, NME’s Damian Jones wrote: “For the first time – the narrative here is more focused on Bono’s life, losses and his own near-death experience. Much like his book, the early part of the show involves the U2 frontman recalling the latter, when his ‘eccentric heart’ nearly burst in 2016 due to a blister on his aorta.
“But what’s impressive about this one-man show is how Bono actually brings the words on the page to life through his own amusing impressions of the likes of Luciano Pavarotti, his U2 bandmates and his late, nonplussed father Bob Hewson, who he is forever trying to impress.”
In other news, U2 recently shared a message and piano piece in support of Ukraine and President Zelenskyy to mark the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion.
The Edge, meanwhile, recently teased that new material from U2 would be arriving “very soon” with the band “hoping to get to do some shows” in the not-too-distant future. Last year saw the guitarist share that the album would not be “a straight-up rock thing” and that he was teaming up with Bono and Brian Eno for “some crazy kind of sci-fi Irish folk music”.
Drummer Larry Mullen Jr. also recently opened up about his recovery from an injury – which forced him to take time off from the band –and shared what fans can expect from new material.
