A&E Network has greenlit the two-hour documentary Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard which will be the first official feature documentary about the Grammy nominated musician and legendary founding member of the iconic hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan. Born Russell Jones in 1968 in Brooklyn, NY, ODB developed a unique persona and rhyme style that set him apart from his contemporaries. In his short 35 years of life and long after his passing, ODB has had a significant influence on a whole generation of fans and performers. With exclusive rights to a never-before-seen personal archive shot by his wife, Icelene Jones, and access to his closest friends and family, this culture-defining special humanizes ODB as a man, a father, and a husband like never before. This definitive documentary is co-directed by Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Director Sam Pollard (MLK/FBI, Black Art: In The Absence of Light) alongside his son Jason Pollard (Get Me Roger Stone, Bitchin’ The Sound and Fury of Rick James) providing an intimate picture of ODB’s life and reflecting on his lasting impact on music and culture.
Produced by Pulse Films (AppleTV+’s Beastie Boys Story, Beyonce’s Lemonade and Katy Perry’s Part of Me) with Four Screens and the Ol’ Dirty Bastard Estate, the documentary will center on ODB’s solo career, from his first album release in 1995 until his untimely passing from a drug overdose in 2004. Charting his meteoric rise and heart-breaking fall, the film will interweave this modern narrative with looks back at his trauma-filled childhood to examine how it influenced the man and artist he would become. A celebration of his artistry and legacy, the documentary is an unflinching look at the complexities of his life including addiction, adultery, fame, mental illness, sudden wealth, race and criminal justice, and will ask the question of just how complicit the media and music industry were in hastening his demise.
“I am thrilled to tell the full story of my husband. With this documentary the world will learn about the son, the husband, the father, and the artist,” said Icelene Jones. “I’m proud of the team that we built, including Pulse, my producing partners Nicole Beckett and Messiah Jacobs at Four Screens, and our directing team, the Pollards.”
“A&E continues to be an industry leader in definitive documentary storytelling,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming for A&E.
Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard will present viewers with the untold story of the man and the musician who made an immense cultural impact across just a few short years.”
“At Pulse Films we are passionate about making music documentaries that tell intimate, and unique stories about the world’s most iconic artists,” commented Sam Bridger, Executive Producer for Pulse Films. “ODB completely redefined what it meant to be an MC. A genius who lived and breathed his art. We are thrilled to have Sam and Jason Pollard on board, who are the perfect filmmakers to tell this amazing story for the first time. There will never be anyone quite like ODB and we are so grateful to his family and friends of for inviting us into his world.”
Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard is produced by Pulse Films and Four Screens for A&E Network. The film will be directed by Sam Pollard and Jason Pollard. Sam Bridger and Diene Pettrle serve as executive producers and Louis Mole serves as producer for Pulse Films. Messiah Jacobs, Nicole Beckett and Icelene Jones will serve as the executive producers representing Four Screens and the Ol’ Dirty Bastard Estate. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson serve as executive producers for A&E Network. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for Biography: Ol’ Dirty Bastard.
