2 months ago
EXCLUSIVE: Utopia Originals presently has nan documentary The Way I Was Made: The Story of a Man Called E successful nan works. The docu follows nan laminitis of nan indie popular stone set Eels, Mark Oliver Everett, arsenic he battles his life-long struggles navigating intelligence wellness and music.
Three-time Emmy victor Judd Apatow has travel aboard to nutrient pinch Utopia laminitis Robert Schwartzman. Gus Black is directing.
The title is nan latest successful a bid of stone and replacement stone docs from Utopia pursuing Meet Me successful nan Bathroom, Hung Up connected a Dream: The Zombies Documentary and Pavements.
As a teenager, Everett discovered his superb but troubled begetter dead. Years later, conscionable arsenic his dreams of becoming a musician began to return shape, he mislaid some his sister and his mother successful devastating succession. Confronted pinch unimaginable grief, Everett chose not nan pursuit of fame, but a profoundly individual creator way — transforming nonaccomplishment into an acclaimed modern euphony catalog spanning 15 workplace albums and opening pinch nan 1996 debut album, Beautiful Freak. Eels person drawn praise from specified performers arsenic Tom Waits and Pete Townshend, nan second who extolled E’s 2008 memoir Things nan Grandchildren Should Know: “E’s communicative is simply a bully illustration of nan measurement an adverse life successful puerility and adolescence shapes an artist, creates eccentricity and yet contributes to brilliance. I learned much astir my ain business and my ain methods by reference this book than I did by reference nan life of Chuck Berry, Elvis aliases David Bowie.”
Eels’ euphony tin beryllium heard successful specified features and TV bid arsenic nan Shrek franchise, American Beauty, Yes Man, How nan Grinch Stole Christmas, and astir precocious successful nan deed bid Yellowjackets and Lynne Ramsay’s Cannes Film Festival characteristic movie Die My Love. The pic is being packaged independently and is presently successful production. Kevin Gasser will service arsenic EP. Gus Black has directed videos by Sheryl Crow, Phoebe Bridgers, Laufey, Sombr’s 2025 VMA-winning “Back To Friends” video and has worked pinch Eels arsenic a video collaborator passim their career.
“E’s communicative is simply a genuinely unsocial and compelling communicative of an American original,” says Black. “Shaped by harrowing circumstances, he chose to forge his ain creator path. One afloat of jarring twists, acheronian turns and unexpectedly agleam forecasts.”
Apatow adds, “I’ve ever thought E’s communicative would make for a awesome documentary. I americium confused by why it has taken this long.”
“Writing euphony and lyrics tin beryllium a powerful shape of medicine. It’s uncommon that a euphony communicative truthful honestly explores nan intersection of songwriting and intelligence health,” says Schwartzman. “Everyone astatine Utopia was instantly drawn to Gus Black’s profoundly quality telling of nan Eels story. It takes existent courageousness to beryllium this susceptible astir specified individual chapters of E’s life, and we’re proud to guidelines down that honesty.”
Apatow is presently moving connected a caller Universal characteristic starring Glen Powell, which he’s co-writing pinch nan Twisters star. The pic besides stars Cristin Milioti, Madelyn Cline and Li Jin Hao.
