Questlove’s documentary about Earth, Wind & Fire set to arrive in 2026

The film is the first on the mighty elements since 2001’s ‘Shining Stars: The Official Story of Earth, Wind & Fire’.

The famed elements, Earth, Wind & Fire, are getting their story brought to the small screen.

Questlove announced in 2024 that he was working on a documentary about the famed funk band. Now, the documentary is set to air on HBO in 2026. According to Deadline, the currently untitled film will focus on the band’s “legacy, cultural impact, and body of work and will feature exclusive access to the band’s archives of visual, audio, and written material, as well as the support of the estate of Maurice White and the band.”

“I’m honored to tell the story of Earth, Wind & Fire and the deep meaning behind their message and music,” Questlove said. “To grow up listening to the music is one thing but to be handed the keys to the kingdom of preserving history is another. I can’t imagine a better platform on which to share this documentary with U.S. audiences than HBO.”

He captioned a post on Instagram celebrating the news, “round one: summer of soul. round two: ladies & gentlemen 50 Years of SNL Music
round three: sly lives! …..and now….. @earthwindandfire comes to @hbo …… ….to be continued good people.”

The documentary is the first about the band since 2001’s Shining Stars: The Official Story of Earth, Wind & Fire. White, who founded the band in 1969, passed away from Parkinson’s disease in 2016 at the age of 74. His younger brother, Fred, passed away in 2023 at the age of 67.

Two of Questlove’s documentaries, Summer of Soul and Sly Lives! (aka The Burden of Black Genius) earned widespread acclaim. Summer of Soul won a Grammy Award for Best Music Documentary and an Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2022. His most recent documentary, Ladies & Gentlemen… 50 Years of SNL Music, was released in January 2025.