Premiere - Song Sung Blue : An Unforgettable Paris Premiere Honoring Neil Diamond and the Spirit of Lightning & Thunder

By Mulder, Paris, Le Grand Rex, 23 november 2025

This afternoon, the legendary Le Grand Rex in Paris was buzzing with an energy you could almost touch, as the Paris premiere of Song Sung Blue brought together fans, journalists, and curious newcomers eager to discover the latest emotional powerhouse from Craig Brewer. Our media was on-site to capture every moment of this beautifully orchestrated event, which blended glamorous celebration with an unexpectedly intimate encounter with the film’s creative team. Before the screening, the audience was treated to a heartfelt and often humorous presentation by writer-director Craig Brewer himself, joined by the magnetic duo Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, who portray real-life musicians Mike Sardina and Claire Stengl with disarming authenticity. Their presence set the tone for a premiere that felt both grand in scale and deeply personal in spirit. As always, Le Grand Rex delivered impeccable hospitality, and our warmest thanks go to its team, as well as to photographer Fanny Ruffier Lanche, whose keen eye captures the soul of these events so naturally. 

Song Sung Blue is not just another biographical musical drama—it’s a film with a heartbeat, rooted in real struggles and real triumphs. Written, directed, and produced by Craig Brewer, the film adapts Greg Kohs’ 2008 documentary into a sweeping narrative about two working-class dreamers who pour every ounce of love, devotion, and fragile hope into their tribute band, Lightning & Thunder. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson deliver some of the most raw, textured performances of their careers, portraying musicians who sing not for fame but to feel alive. The cast surrounding them—Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Hudson Hensley, Fisher Stevens, and Jim Belushi—adds layers of humor, musicality, and emotional grit to a story that spans garage rehearsals, dive bar shows, unexpected acclaim, and devastating loss. Behind the camera, cinematographer Amy Vincent shapes this journey with visuals that move fluidly between realism and dreamlike romance, mirroring the turbulent emotional landscape of the Sardinas’ life. 

The origin story of this film is as surprising as the story it adapts. Craig Brewer encountered the documentary purely by chance 15 years ago, yet it stayed with him like a song that refuses to fade. Born and raised in Memphis—a city where music is woven into the sidewalks—Brewer felt an immediate kinship with the unsung musicians whose biggest stages are state fairs and karaoke nights. Their stories reminded him of the countless barroom performers he’d seen in his hometown, artists bursting with talent and soul, even if the world never noticed. Working-class dreamers who never stop reaching—that was the heartbeat of Lightning & Thunder, and Brewer saw cinematic potential in their highs, lows, and fierce devotion. The emotional honesty of the Sardina family, particularly Claire Stengl, helped Brewer craft a film that remains faithful to the real events yet embraces the lyrical, iconic scale of a musical drama. 

Casting Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson turned out to be a stroke of serendipity. Jackman connected instantly with the script’s ode to “tip jar musicians,” those artists who give their all whether facing a sold-out hall or two people in a bar. His interpretation of Mike Sardina, a recovering alcoholic and Vietnam vet who still believes wholeheartedly in the power of music, digs into vulnerability in a way that moved even the crew on set. Hudson, meanwhile, brings electrifying emotional range to Claire Stengl—a mother, a dreamer, a performer whose optimism masks deep emotional wounds. Her ability to shift from dazzling stage presence to raw fragility gives the film its emotional pulse. Their chemistry, forged in the recording studio before filming even began, spills onto the screen in every duet and every quiet look they exchange. 

The supporting cast enriches this world with authenticity and character. Ella Anderson delivers a striking performance as Rachel, Claire’s daughter, drawing on her own experience growing up around musicians to craft a role filled with nuance. King Princess, whose casting surprised even Brewer at first, brings unexpected emotional power as Mike’s daughter Angelina. Michael Imperioli, a musician himself, steps into the role of Mark Shurilla with the precision and sensitivity of someone who knows the rhythm of a band from the inside out. Meanwhile, Jim Belushi, whom Brewer envisioned from the earliest drafts, embodies Tom D’Amato with warmth, humor, and sincerity, while Fisher Stevens and Mustafa Shakir add memorable texture to the ensemble. 

Music lies at the heart of Song Sung Blue, and its handling is nothing short of meticulous. Executive music producer Scott Bomar—a longtime collaborator of Brewer’s—worked closely with the director to reshape Neil Diamond’s iconic songs into emotional storytelling tools. From the intimate spark of “Play Me” to the joyous explosion of “Forever in Blue Jeans,” each piece is carefully selected and rearranged to reflect the evolving relationship between Mike and Claire. Even “Sweet Caroline,” the song audiences crave most, is teased and withheld until Brewer can deliver it with maximum emotional resonance. Real musicians who previously worked with Neil Diamond contributed to the soundtrack, ensuring a level of authenticity that honors both Diamond’s legacy and Lightning & Thunder’s spirited, imperfect charm. 

Visually, the film moves through contrasting worlds with cinematic grace. Amy Vincent’s cinematography captures the cramped warmth of small living rooms, the gritty glow of dive bars, and the soaring energy of rising stardom. Her use of period-authentic lighting, especially in the concert sequences, evokes the theater of 1980s musical icons while grounding the film in the scrappy reality of Milwaukee’s music scene. The production design by Clay Griffith brings early 1990s Wisconsin to life, recreating real Sardina spaces with textures pulled from decades past—wood paneling, aging furniture, family knick-knacks, and the vibrant chaos of a state fair. Meanwhile, the costume, hair, and makeup teams led by Ernesto Martinez, Alicia Zavarella, and Anouck Sullivan balance realism with the sensational flair of performance life, shaping a look that is both grounded and larger than life. 

Among the film’s most striking sequences is its surreal dream scene, a shimmering visual poem that captures Claire’s inner world at its most fragile. Bathed in red and blue light and inspired by Andrew Wyeth’s painting Christina’s World, the scene stands as one of the film’s boldest stylistic departures. It reflects both the emotional turmoil and artistic intensity that define Claire and Mike’s bond—a relationship that is passionate, flawed, and ultimately transcendent. That emotional core is what gives Song Sung Blue its lasting impact: beyond music, beyond hardship, it is a story about love’s ability to transform the darkest chapters into something luminous. 

The Paris premiere felt like a celebration not just of a film, but of the human stories that inspired it. As Craig Brewer said, Lightning & Thunder were never rock stars in the traditional sense—but their persistence, heart, and devotion are the stuff legends are made of. Watching Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson breathe life into Mike and Claire at Le Grand Rex reminded everyone why true stories like these resonate so deeply. They remind us that dreams don’t have an expiration date, that love can be both refuge and spark, and that some of the most unforgettable music is sung not under stadium spotlights but in the corners of small-town bars and family living rooms.

With the film headed to U.S. theaters on December 25 and arriving in France on December 31, Song Sung Blue is set to become one of the season’s most heartfelt cinematic events. And judging from the emotional applause echoing inside Le Grand Rex, Paris audiences are more than ready to embrace Lightning & Thunder’s unforgettable journey. 

You can discover our photos in our Flickr page : here and here

Synopsis:
Based on a true story, Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson play two broke musicians who breathe new life into Neil Diamond's music by forming a tribute band. Together, they prove that it's never too late to follow your heart and make your dreams come true.

Song Sung Blue
Written and directed by Craig Brewer
Based on Song Sung Blue by Greg Kohs
Produced by Craig Brewer, John Davis, John Fox
Starring Hugh Jackman, Kate Hudson, Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, King Princess, Mustafa Shakir, Jayson Warner Smith, Hudson Hensley, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi
Cinematography: Amy Vincent
Edited by Billy Fox
Music by Scott Bomar
Production company: Davis Entertainment
Distributed by Focus Features (United States), Universal Pictures (International)
Release dates: October 26, 2025 (AFI Film Festival), December 25, 2025 (United States), December 31, 2025 (France)
Running time: 131 minutes

With our sincere thanks to the entire team at Le Grand Rex cinema for their excellent hospitality and for organizing this premiere to perfection. A big thank you to the excellent photographer Fanny Ruffier Lanche, with whom it is a real pleasure to talk and work together.

Photos : @fannyrlphotography & Boris Colletier / Mulderville
Video 4K : Boris Colletier / Mulderville