Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That's the Weight of the World)
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| HBO Documentary Films | Release Date (Streaming): June 7, 2026 |
Summary:
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson tells the story of Earth, Wind & Fire, chronicling their evolution, highs and lows, spiritual meaning, and lasting legacy.
Genre(s):
Music, Documentary
Runtime:
119 min
Jun 10, 2026
Jun 8, 2026
Jun 10, 2026
Thompson uses archival footage, contemporary interviews, and better-than-decent animation to construct a story that’s as much about White’s legacy — one that’s crucial to Thompson the musician — as it is about White himself. The Questlove-White connection helps the movie go deeper than a portrait by a nonmusician might have.
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Jun 5, 2026
Using a well-edited combination of vintage and recent interviews and copious amounts of archival footage, the documentary recounts the band’s story in compelling fashion, with Questlove providing enough imaginative stylistic flourishes to prevent it from feeling like an extended Behind the Music episode.
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Jun 8, 2026
None of the band members interviewed are out to beatify White—he didn’t pay them fairly; he took the publishing rights; he routinely overspent on tours, to the tune of half a million dollars at a clip. But he created an institution. Even when they’re shrugging off his sins with a smile, his old bandmates have to give him that.
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