Cirque Du Soleil is opening its doors to the cameras as it prepares to get back on the Las Vegas stage.
John Lewis: Good Trouble and The Way I See It director Dawn Porter has teamed up with MGM Television to produce a feature documentary about the live entertainment group.
The doc will pull back the curtain to tell the inside story of Cirque du Soleil’s resurgence after the most difficult period in its history. Filming on the project has begun and will continue through opening night on July 1, when Cirque du Soleil’s show O will make its return to the stage at Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
For the first time in its 37-year history, Cirque du Soleil has granted exclusive access to the circus, from the ringmasters in the boardroom to the world-class acrobats and divers that grace the water stage of O.
O, like all live shows, was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. Before the health crisis, Cirque du Soleil had performed 52,000 shows for more than 70M people in Vegas as well as to audiences around the world. Hardest hit were the artists themselves and their stories are at the center of Porter’s film.
Porter (left) will direct and exec produce and her production company Trilogy Films and partner Industrial Media are providing production services.
Porter said, “Like so many people, I have always been enthralled with the beauty and mystery of Cirque du Soleil and fascinated with the extraordinarily talented people who make the seemingly impossible come to life. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to document Cirque’s biggest challenge, a return to the stage after one of the world’s greatest crises. The performers, cast, company, and crew are giving their all to make this the biggest premiere of their careers. This is a magnificent story and I’m so grateful to be able to tell it.”
“We are thrilled to have MGM on board to capture this once-in-a lifetime moment in Cirque du Soleil’s history,” said Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group. “The return of O is marking the long-awaited return of live entertainment and solidifies the future of our company.”
Mark Burnett, MGM’s Chairman of Worldwide Television said, “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to document this incredible chapter in Cirque du Soleil’s story. Chronicling the re-opening of the aquatic O show brings MGM back to its roots, as it was 75 years ago that the studio produced the first Aqua Musicals with Esther Williams.”
“This film is a collaboration of incredible talent. Cirque du Soleil are the masters of theatrics and acrobatics, and Dawn Porter is a gifted director who brings the personal stories and struggles of these performers to center stage. Intermission is definitely over,” added Barry Poznick, MGM’s President of MGM Television and Orion Television.
Porter is represented by ICM Partners.
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