Shooting starts imminently on a new feature-length documentary on the life of British photographer Terry O’Neill, famous for his candid images that captured the spirit of rock and pop music, Hollywood, celebrity culture, sport, royalty, and politics over six decades.
Iconic Images who own Terry’s archive say: ‘The Terry O’Neill Story will not only chronicle the late photographer’s life, career, and his huge legacy of highly sought-after photographs, many of which now hang in national art galleries and private collections all over the world, it will investigate the photographer’s unique talent to get up close and personal to the most famous people on the planet to earn their trust so much they were happy to drop their guard for him; to capture them in public, in private, on stage or back stage, in their homes, on their tour planes in their most intimate moments and at their most alluring, or vulnerable or powerful.’
Screen icons such as Brigitte Bardot, Faye Dunaway (to whom O’Neill was married and divorced) and Audrey Hepburn have been immortalised by O’Neill’s images, while his music industry work featured The Beatles, David Bowie, Elton John, The Rolling Stones and Amy Winehouse.
Now, two years after his death, filmmakers have been granted exclusive access to O’Neill’s complete archive covering six decades – including many images which are still being discovered and digitised – as well as contact sheets, filmed footage and work diaries. Producers will also have access to a retrospective exhibition of his work, which is being planned for 2022.
Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Murray (The Quiet One, 2019, and Ronnie’s, 2020) has boarded the production as Director. The feature-length film is to be produced jointly by Round World Studios and Iconic Images, an Authentic Brands company, the owner of O’Neill’s photographic archive. Murray’s Orofena Films will take a co-producer credit.
Executive Producers are Terry Byrne and Eric Woollard-White for Round World Studios, which is also financing, and Robin Morgan, President Iconic Images.
Robin Morgan, who was O’Neill’s closest confidant for more than 30 years, said: “Only Terry’s closest friends know the real Terry O’Neill and the secrets that were buried with him. He had a bewitching influence over the most beautiful and influential women on the planet.”
“He had film star looks himself and an easy going, charming but respectful rapport. He once told me he learned everything about women from his friend Frank Sinatra. He even pulled off the impossible – making Her Majesty The Queen drop her guard and chuckle mischievously into his camera.”
PAN will have the air date as soon as the film is ready …may even report from the screening!
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