Barbra Streisand announces production launch on her documentary

An official Barbra Streisand documentary is coming, people! And the multifaceted singer-come-actress has announced that it’s officially in production, and is set to include “never-seen” before footage.

The icon, 82, revealed on 26 September that she’s currently working on a multipart documentary about her life and career, directed by Frank Marshall and produced by Alex Gibney. 

Via a statement, “The Way We Were” singer said: “For years I’ve been thinking about the best way to share the vast amount of content I’ve been safely storing in my vault. These films, photos and music masters — many never seen or heard by the public — hold some of my most cherished memories. 

“I’m so pleased that producer Alex Gibney and director Frank Marshall have agreed to take this journey with me.”

Gibney said in a statement: “People have been talking about the need for the definitive documentary on Barbra Streisand for years. 

“After a series of wonderful conversations and rigorous research, we are moving forward with Frank Marshall at the helm. I am delighted to produce this film on Barbra, a legendary singer, extraordinary actor, director, and political activist who inspires us all. Did I forget to mention that she’s a great storyteller who is funny as hell?”

The film will reveal Streisand’s Brooklyn upbringing and her early career at New York nightclubs, before her acclaimed performance in the original Broadway musical Funny Girl, and the adaptation of the 1968 William Wyler film which starred Streisand. 

After her Oscar-winning performance of Fanny Brice in the movie, Streisand went on to star in Hello, Dolly!, The Owl and the Pussycat, What’s Up, Doc? and A Star Is Born before she made her directorial debut in Yentl and became the first woman to write, direct, produce and star in a major feature film. 

In terms of music accolades, Billboard reported in 2021 that Streisand was the only female recording artist to feature her albums on the publication’s Top 20 list in every decade beginning in the 1960s. 

The untitled Barbra Streisand documentary does not yet have a release date.