A feature documentary on Norwegian “Take On Me” singers A-ha will receive a worldwide release this November.
“A-ha: The Movie,” distributed internationally by Esther van Messel’s First Hand Films, will be broadcast in theaters around the world on Nov. 26, with Germany’s Salzgeber releasing the film locally and First Hand Films handling the release in Switzerland. Deals are also under way for South Korea, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Israel, Iceland and Sweden.
The premiere will be accompanied by a live-streaming event of never-before-seen footage from the band’s videos. A-ha will also perform a concert in the Norwegian capital on Nov. 28.
News of the planned global release follows the announcement of A-ha’s hit song “Take On Me” surpassing one billion views on YouTube.
The iconic video combines live action with pencil-sketch animation, and is the second song from the 1980s to reach one billion views, on the heels of Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” which passed the one-billion-views mark last fall. “Take On Me” has averaged more than 480,000 daily views so far in 2020, according to YouTube.
“A-ha: The Movie” follows the band over a period of four years, telling the story of how three young men became international pop stars, and how their fame has evolved in modern times, where “Take On Me” continues to be used in countless films, such as “Deadpool 2,” “La La Land” and “Despicable Me 3.”
The film is a co-production between Norwegian “Louder Than Bombs” producer Motlys, doc specialists Fenris and German music film firm Kinescope. Directed by Thomas Robsahm and Alsaug Holm, it has been in production since 2016.