The release date of new David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream has been revealed, together with the film’s artwork.

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The film, directed by Brett Morgen, will launch globally on September 16 and is described as a “feature length experiential cinematic odyssey” that “explores Bowie’s creative, musical and spiritual journey.” There will also be IMAX screenings in several territories.

With never-before-seen footage, performance and music, the film is guided by Bowie’s narration and is the first to be officially sanctioned by the Bowie estate.

A statement about the film says: “Moonage Daydream illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie, one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time. The motion picture reveals the celebrated icon through his own voice and features 48 musical tracks, mixed from their original stems.”

It was reported back in November that Brett Morgen, who directed Kurt Cobain documentary Montage of Heck, had spent four years working on a film project that involved compiling thousands of hours of archival performance footage of Bowie, the majority of which has never before been seen.

A press release announcing the project described Moonage Daydream as “a project that shows how Bowie himself worked across several disciplines, not just music and film but also dance, painting, sculpture, video and audio collage, screenwriting, acting and live theatre”.

It adds that that Morgen was given “unfiltered access to Bowie’s personal archives, including all master recordings, to create an artful and life-affirming film that takes the audience on a journey through Bowie’s creative life”.

“Morgen has constructed a sublime cinematic experience that will provide audiences with unrestricted access to Bowie’s personal archives,” it continues.

Bowie’s longtime collaborator and producer Tony Visconti worked on the music for the film, alongside Academy Award-winning mixer Paul Massey, David Gimmarco, the sound design team of John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone and VFX producer Stefan Nadelman.

The unauthorised Bowie biopic Stardust arrived in 2020, with Johnny Flynn starring as the singer during his first North American tour in 1971. The film did not receive the Bowie estate’s approval, with Bowie’s son Duncan Jones saying he was not consulted about the project, and that the film would not be granted permission to use Bowie’s music.