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Steven Van Zandt will be in spotlight of a new documentary centered on the career of the E Street Band rocker and The Sopranos actor.
Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple will first premiere at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival before heading to HBO on June 22.
The first trailer for the Bill Teck-directed documentary showcases many of Van Zandt’s musical peers who praise the guitarist in the film, including Paul McCartney, Eddie Vedder, Bill Wyman, Bono, Darlene Love, Joan Jett, Peter Gabriel, and, of course, Bruce Springsteen.
“He was a great performer, great songwriter, great producer,” Springsteen says in the trailer. “We were so close, I just wanted him near me. He just became my rock n’ roll brother, instantly.”
“Featuring a wealth of never-before-seen footage, the film traces Van Zandt’s career as a producer, musician, songwriter, activist, actor, and more, from the clubs of Asbury Park, N.J. to arenas and stadiums, to the Bada Bing Club and the Underground Garage,” the film’s synopsis states.
“A portrait of a true renaissance man and passionate activist, Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple chronicles the artist throughout his remarkable career while illuminating the influential and enduring legacy he continues to have as a fervent champion of rock ‘n’ roll and social justice.”
The documentary also features interviews with Sopranos creator David Chase and Van Zandt’s co-star Vincent Pastore, as well as fellow New Jersey rock legends like Richie Sambora and Southside Johnny.
Disciple also digs into Van Zandt’s work as an activist, notably his role in protesting Sun City in apartheid-era South Africa. “There’s something unique in rock in the way that it communicates emotion, inspiration, and motivation,” Van Zandt says in the trailer.
Later this year, Van Zandt will also appear in the documentaryRoad Diary: Bruce Springsteen and theE Street Band, which goes behind-the-scenes of the E Street Band’s tour preparation process, premiering onHuluandDisney+this October.
