'Song Sung Blue,' movie on Milwaukee's Lightning & Thunder, reveals photo and release date
"Song Sung Blue," the in-the-works movie about Milwaukee singing duo Lightning & Thunder, got a first-look reveal April 22 — and a Christmas release date.
Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are playing Milwaukee performers Mike and Claire Sardina, who performed in a Neil Diamond/Patsy Cline tribute act for years before tragedy intervened. According to a "first look" posted by studio Focus Features, the movie will open in theaters Dec. 25.
The Christmas release date — generally, a sign of confidence that a movie has both critical and/or box-office appeal — pits "Song Sung Blue" against "Anaconda," a "re-imagining" of the 1997 action/monster movie with Paul Rudd and Jack Black; "The Housemaid," a buzzed-about thriller with Sydney Sweeney and Amanda Seyfreid; and "Marty Supreme," an awards-season contender starring Timothée Chalamet as a ping-pong hustler.
"Based on a true story, two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson) form a joyous Neil Diamond tribute band, proving it's never too late to find love and follow your dreams," Focus' summary of the movie reads.
In addition to Jackman and Hudson, "Song Sung Blue" stars Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir and Hudson Hilbert Hensley.
News about "Song Sung Blue" first surfaced last fall, when Variety reported that production on the movie began Oct. 14. According to Variety, the movie, written and directed by Craig Brewer ("Hustle & Flow"), is based on an award-winning 2008 documentary, also titled "Song Sung Blue."
The documentary, shot over eight years, recounts the Sardinas' life and career, and what happened after. Mike Sardina (aka Lightning) died of a head injury in 2006; Claire Sardina (aka Thunder) lost part of a leg after being struck by a car.
The Sardinas began performing together in 1989 and married at the Wisconsin State Fair, one of their regular performing stops, in 1994. Among their career highlights was performing Diamond's hit "Forever in Blue Jeans" with Pearl Jam at Summerfest in 1995, a scene featured in the documentary.
At the time news of the movie surfaced, Claire Sardina, living in Menomonee Falls, issued a statement about the movie:
'I'm elated and a little dumfounded,' she said. 'All of the hype has taken me back to when my wonderful husband was alive and by my side. It's been wonderful to go back in time.'
On April 14, the Wisconsin Area Music Industry announced that Claire and Mike Sardina will be the first recipients of the WAMI Lifetime Achievement Award at 45th annual WAMI Awards Show. According to WAMI, Claire Sardina Claire Sardina will perform live at the May 4 ceremony at The Deco in West Allis, with Jackie Brown and Neil Diamond tribute artist Eric Diamond.
This story was updated to add a photo and additional information.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 'Song Sung Blue,' on Milwaukee's Lightning & Thunder, has release date
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