Lisa Cortés will direct Little Richard: I Am Everything (working title), a new documentary about the life of genre-defying, music innovator Little Richard, currently in production and expected to be completed in fall 2022.

Commissioned by CNN Films and HBO Max and produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment in association with Rolling Stone, the film reveals the daring, extraordinary, defiant life of the creative genius behind “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally,” and even “The Magic School Bus Theme.”

Richard Penniman, also known as “Little Richard,” lived a life as large as his dreams, breaking barriers, and becoming a global music superstar. He was a key architect of rock and roll. His unique sound, performance, and bravado launched the fresh and exciting new genre. He also personified the fearless independence that rock inspired, despite the new music’s ascendance during an era of brutal prejudice and racism.

Personal insights from loved ones, colleagues, as well as contemporary musicians and historians will explore Little Richard’s life and indomitable spirit. Never-seen-before archive and insights will develop the 360⁰ portrait of the artist and the human.

“I am delighted to give Little Richard the royal treatment he so deserves,” said director Lisa Cortés (All In: The Fight for Democracy). “This magnificent rock n’ roll icon changed the world for all of us – Black and white, straight and gay, everyday people and stars. His story is the history of rock n’ roll: musical genius mixed with the sheer audacity to morph and change at will, seeking permission from no one. The film is called I Am Everything because that was Little Richard’s triumph: transcending all categories and expectations to be everything he dreamed,” she said.

_{[image credit: Robbie Drexhage]}