Bill Simmons’ The Ringer is continuing to expand its relationship with HBO.
The company, which already produced the “Andre The Giant” doc at the cabler, is teaming with HBO on a six-part docuseries about the world of music.
The project is slated to air on the network in 2021 and will center on pivotal moments for a popular artist, an iconic album or the music business as a whole. Each of the six films will be helmed by a different director.
“It’s been a dream of mine to put this project together,” said Simmons in a statement. “It wasn’t until I started working with Jody and Marc that the potential of it started to seem real. We see an opportunity to elevate the storytelling form with music docs much like ‘30 for 30’ changed the landscape for sports documentaries at the end of last decade. We don’t want to make music docs that just cover the beginning, middle and end of someone’s career. We think there’s a different way to do these. And we want to work with the best directors possible, talented filmmakers who have the same passion for this project that we do. I couldn’t be more excited for the challenge. Being able to explore this with HBO is like the cherry on top.”
The project is being executive produced by Simmons, Polygram Entertainment and Universal Music Publishing Group executives Jody Gerson and Marc Cimino.
“We’ve had a longtime collaboration with Bill, and we are thrilled that he came to HBO with this idea,” said Casey Bloys, president of programming at HBO. “We look forward to working with him and the team at The Ringer to illuminate many of the fascinating artists and moments that have shaped the music industry.”
Ringer Films also has “Women of Troy,” about the groundbreaking USC women’s basketball team of the 1980s, set at HBO.