Blur have announced details of their new feature-length documentary To The End, which will follow their recent comeback and the release of their first album in eight years.
The Britpop icons first shared a teaser about the upcoming project back in February, when they announced that a feature-length documentary was on the way, and set to recall the making of their latest album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’.
Now, frontman Damon Albarn and co. have shared the title of the film, and confirmed that it will be arriving in cinemas across the country later this summer.
Called Blur: To The End, the new documentary will be shown in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from July 19 and, according to a press release, will “follow the unique relationship of four friends – and bandmates of three decades – Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree as they came together in early 2023 to record new songs ahead of their sold-out, first-ever shows at London’s Wembley Stadium in July last summer.”
The Wembley shows refer to when the band played two massive back-to-back headline shows at the venue last summer. These historic and emotional dates will be also captured in a forthcoming concert film called Blur: Live At Wembley Stadium.
In To The End, footage will be shown of the band performing their most famed songs at the shows, as well as clips of them in the studio and their time on the road. Check out the trailer below and book cinema tickets here.
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“We’ve barely communicated for the last 10 years… I mean even when we really split up, it didn’t take this long to make a record, but what’s wonderful is as soon as the four of us get in a room together, it’s just exactly the same as it was when we were all 19,” said James in the film.
Coxon added: “In the ‘90s, it was a very intense time. On the same sort of level as a relationship, or marriages and things like that. I think it’s okay to say that time apart was taken up with other friendships and just sort of recuperating or doing other things.”
Speaking about how they came together for ‘The Ballad Of Darren’, Albarn said: “I don’t think any of us thought we’d make another record, especially not a record like this. I suppose that’s why I wanted to try and make it as good as possible.”
“We all have hugely involving and complicated lives and we’re so lucky that we get to spend this time together, just the four of us. And that’s the beauty of it.”
Both To The End and Live At Wembley features are directed by Toby L and produced by Josh Connolly via UK production company Up The Game – which previously worked on Liam Gallagher: Knebworth 22, Olivia Rodrigo: Sour Prom, Foals: Rip Up The Road and more.
Toby L directed all three of the aforementioned titles, and helmed the visuals for Blur’s 2023 single ‘St. Charles Square’ and Albarn’s ‘Polaris’ performance video.
Speaking of the documentary, he said: “To The End is an intimate glimpse into relationships, motivation and mortality, the sights and sounds of long-term friendship unearthing a fresh new conquest to overcome together.
“On the subject of capturing a band that has been so well documented, we sat down at the start of the project and agreed that the film had to tell a new story, be shot entirely on location, and crucially, be honest. In To The End, that’s what I hope people can see, and most importantly, feel.”
The aforementioned shows at London’s Wembley Stadium were given a five-star review by NME.
“This two-hour performance shows that Blur have soundtracked the audience’s lives with real emotional impact,” it read. “[Alex] James recently called the making of their new album an ‘utter joy’. It’s clear that fans would say the same about tonight.”
In other Blur news, at the start of the month the band shared some unseen footage from the shoot for the ‘Parklife’ video with fans, as well as a restored version of the video itself.
Shortly before then, they performed two sets at Coachella 2024, where Albarn aired his frustration with the unenthusiastic crowd during a rendition of ‘Girls & Boys’ and later announced that the performance during Weekend Two was “probably our last gig”.
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