Four-Part Series Examining The Cultural History Of Hip-Hop’s Most Influential Group Will Debut On SHOWTIME This Spring

LOS ANGELES – January 18, 2019 – Showtime Documentary Films dives deeper into the music documentary space with the acquisition of North American rights to WU-TANG CLAN: OF MICS AND MEN, a four-part limited docuseries from filmmaker Sacha Jenkins (BURN MOTHERF*CKER, BURN!) that transcends the music documentary genre by creating a new lane that merges music, socio-cultural commentary and intimate family portrait. The first two episodes of the series will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, January 28, and the full series will air on SHOWTIME later this spring. WU-TANG CLAN: OF MICS AND MEN is a Mass Appeal production in association with Endeavor Content. Peter J. Scalettar, Peter Bittenbender and Chris Gary serve as executive producers. 

“The Wu-Tang Clan is a seminal group that deserves a seminal documentary,” said Vinnie Malhotra, Executive Vice President, Nonfiction Programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “Sacha Jenkins delivers just that, not only reminding us of their powerful history through vintage footage, but also placing their impact in modern-day perspective that will be meaningful both to their diehard fans and music fans in general. I’m excited to be returning to Sundance with Sacha years after his directorial debut with what I believe to be his best work yet.”

As the group marks the 25^th anniversary of their breakout debut album Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), the series looks back on their career, combining intimate and reflective interviews from each of the nine living members with never-before-seen archival footage and performances. The series follows the founding members – RZA, GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon, U-God, Ghostface, Method Man, Masta Killa and Cappadonna – many of whom were childhood friends in the hardscrabble world of ’70s and ’80s Staten Island and Brooklyn. Their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit brought them together to overcome the poverty, violence and oppression of their neighborhoods. But it was music and their shared lyrical genius that allowed them to form the most recognized musical movement in the world, all while walking the treacherous tightrope that links business with brotherhood. 

Jenkins’ relationship with the group dates back to the early ’90s when, as a co-founding publisher of one of hip-hop’s first zines, Beat Down, he gave the group its first cover. In 2013, Jenkins re-launched Mass Appeal as a premium entertainment company where he serves as its Chief Creative Officer. WU-TANG CLAN: OF MICS AND MEN marks a homecoming to Sundance for Jenkins, where his feature directorial debut Fresh Dressed premiered in 2015. Since then Jenkins has directed BURN MOTHERF*CKER, BURN! and WORD IS BOND for SHOWTIME, as well as Rapture.

 Passes for the Sundance Film Festival are currently on sale, along with individual tickets for members and locals. Tickets go on sale to the public on January 22 at 10 a.m. MT. Passes and tickets are available for purchase at sundance.org.

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