HAVANA, CUBA – MARCH 26: Lead vocalist of English Rock Band Rolling Stones, Mickk Jagger performs on … [+] the stage during their concert at the Ciudad Deportiva in Havana, Cuba on March 26, 2016. (Photo by Enrique Castro Sanchez/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)
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Iconic English rock band, The Rolling Stones, is trading its postponed No Filter Tour for a new film showing during the coronavirus pandemic. This summer CineLife Entertainment, a division of Spotlight Cinema Networks, presents a new Rolling Stones: Havana Moon concert movie to entertain fans at drive-in movie theatres across the U.S. and Canada.
Made possible through a partnership with UK-based content provider Eagle Rock, the new film recounts a Rolling Stones’ free March 25, 2016 concert filmed live during the end of the América Latina Olé Tour at Ciudad Deportiva de la Habana sports complex in Havana, Cuba. The event is celebrated as the largest open-air rock concert ever to be held in the country after the rock genre was banned for decades following the Cuban Revolution and Fidel Castro’s communist government take over in 1959.
Directed by Paul Dugdale and produced by Simon Fisher, Rolling Stones: Havana Moon originally made its debut during a one-night international theatre premiere and in the U.S. on-demand via the Starz network. Beginning on July 10, and in compliance with individual state reopening guidelines, rock fans will be able to enjoy the hits and classic songs that were performed by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood in front of about 500,000 fans. The concert was also notably held just five days after sitting U.S. President Barack Obama visited the nation for the first time.
“I’m so thrilled that Havana Moon has found its way back onto the big screen, particularly during such a strange time for live music,” says director Paul Dugdale in a statement. “The Rolling Stones concert was the first of its kind in Havana, and I hope the unprecedented absence of live music during the Covid-19 crisis means this film brings almost as much elation and joy to those watching it now through CineLife as it did the people of Havana back on that special night. Turn it up loud!”
HONG KONG, CHINA – APRIL 19: English rock band The Rolling Stones are seen performing live on screen … [+] as One World Together At Home is streaming live on a computer on April 19, 2020 in Hong Kong, China. One World Together At Home is a campaign rallying funds for the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. The WHO’s mission for COVID-19 is to prevent, detect, and respond to the pandemic. (Photo by Keith Tsuji/Getty Images)
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The list of concert movies and comedies available for streaming continues to grow as virtual performances lead music entertainment during self-quarantine. Vanity Fair recently featured a robust list of high-production quality titles including Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (2016), Shut Up and Play the Hits (2012), Lady Gaga Presents: The Monster Ball Tour at Madison Square Garden (2011) and Beyoncé’s: I Am…World Tour (2010). Now the Rolling Stones drive-in movie will offer fans a new and unique experience with the band after months of streaming concerts at home.
A CineLife Entertainment spokesperson says that the Rolling Stones’ drive-in experience is expected to be a hit, being that the movie will bring a familiar piece of cinema entertainment to life, even with social distancing in place.
“We think this is the perfect opportunity to bring the Rolling Stones to drive-in theatres everywhere for the first time ever,” says CineLife Entertainment Executive Vice President Bernadette McCabe in a statement. “The Rolling Stones are an iconic band and drive-in theatres will provide a unique experience for audiences everywhere. We couldn’t be more thrilled to launch this new film this summer, as we look towards returning to theatres.”