Related Articles
Netflix has dropped the first trailer for its new documentary, Wham!, which offers an extensive, archive-heavy look at the rise of the world-conquering Eighties pop heroes.
Directed by Chris Smith, the new film traces George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley’s remarkable four-year run between 1982 and 1986, which was filled with plenty of success, but also fraught with internal and external pressures. Speaking with Rolling Stone via email, Ridgeley praised Smith’s contextualization of the Wham! story, saying, “He has come as close as anyone might to making tangible that which is the essence of Wham! and has done so with veracity and affection.”
As teased in the new trailer, Wham! will examine the origins of Michael and Ridgeley’s creative partnership and personal friendship. It’ll also delve into Michael’s struggles being a closeted gay man in the Eighties, as well as his relentless desire to rebuff pop’s critics and dominate the charts.
“Success was so much more than I had ever dreamed of,” says Michael (who died in 2016) in an archival interview clip. “And with your best mate — it was just absolutely magical.”
Wham! will feature a trove of archival material culled from Ridgeley and Michael’s personal collections, as well as some rare and previously-unheard interview clips. Without giving much away, Ridgeley said the producers and research team uncovered “some real gems, which have been a pleasurable surprise to see.”
Ridgeley also spoke about revisiting and telling the story of Wham! without Michael. “The documentary is a genuinely authentic representation of Wham!’s ascent to worldwide success and a place in the hearts of many,” he said. “And I have no doubt that George would recognize [it] as being as close to our experience of that wonderful chapter in our lives, as any account might be.”
Wham! is set to arrive on Netflix on July 5.
