‘Tina’ First Trailer: HBO Documentary Profiles the Legendary Tina Turner in Her Own Words

Jude Dry
·2 min read
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HBO has released the first teaser trailer for “Tina,” a new documentary about legendary musician Tina Turner. Drawing on a wealth of never-before-seen footage spanning 60 years, audio tapes, personal photos, and new interviews with Turner herself, “Tina” promises an intimate and fresh look at the notoriously private icon. The broad strokes of Turner’s life have been pop culture fodder before, from her 1986 autobiography “I, Tina,” and the 1993 film “What’s Love Got to Do with It,” which drew from the book and starred Angela Bassett in an Oscar-nominated turn as the singer. However, “Tina” represents the first authorized feature documentary on Turner.

Turner first rocketed to stardom in the 1960s and ’70s, performing alongside her then-husband Ike. Off-stage, the partnership was violent, though the extent of the abuse wasn’t known until after the pair divorced and Tina began to speak publicly about her experiences. “Tina” will prominently feature the period of her solo career resurgence in the 1980s, a new chapter of stardom that crossed over into the film world, too, with a striking appearance in “Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.”

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The trailer opens with the 81-year-old Turner in a sparely decorated sit down interview, recounting a childhood memory of watching her mother at the window. It then explodes into dynamic concert footage and a thrilling montage of photos from her youth and performances. Much like Turner’s jaw-dropping talent and energy, it’s enough to give anyone with a pulse chills.

The documentary features interviews with Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey, journalist Kurt Loder, playwright Katori Hall (“P-Valley”), and Tina’s husband Erwin Bach, among others.

Oscar-winning filmmakers Dan Lindsay and T.J. Martin are leading this feature-length look at Turner’s lengthy career. The duo took home the Oscar for Best Documentary in 2011 for “Undefeated,” a look at a struggling high school football team. In 2017, they won an Emmy for “LA 92,” which charted the 1992 Los Angeles uprising.

Simon Chinn, Jonathan Chinn, and Diane Becker are producers for Lightbox. Erwin Bach, Tali Pelman, Will Clarke, Andy Mayson, Mike Runagall, David Gilbery, and Charles Dorfman are executive producers.

“Tina” will be available on HBO and HBO Max next month on March 27. Check out the thrilling first trailer below.

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