Billy Joel is going through some health issues and had to cancel all his planned forthcoming concerts. At the same time, HBO who keeps on reverting its name from HBO to HBO Max to Max, and then the same run of names again, is set to premiere the first part of its two-part documentary on Joel, titled Billy Joel: And So It Goes. The premiere of the film, which was recently shown at the Tribeca Festival, is set for mid-July 2025.
The documentary is directed by Susan Lacy, who created the American Masters series for PBS and directed previous HBO docs on Jane Fonda and Steven Spielberg. Jessica Levin, who produced those docs and The Janes, is on board to produce.
Billy Joel: And So It Goes will reportedly explore “the love, loss, and personal struggles that fuel his songwriting” and will incorporate never-before-seen performances, home movies, and personal photographs, in addition to new interview footage. It won’t be the first Billy Joel documentary, but previous films The Last Play At Shea Stadium and A Matter Of Trust: The Bridge To Russia centered on specific gigs. A statement from Lacy:
For those who think they know Joel’s story, as well as those who are not as familiar, I believe this two-part film is both a revelation and a surprise. I was drawn to his story as someone who knew little at the outset, and was astounded at how autobiographical his songs are and how complex his story is. We are gratified that Bill trusted us with his story, which we have told as honestly as possible, diving into territory which has not been explored before.
