TORONTO — Mike Downie may be uniquely positioned to direct the “definitive documentary” on the Tragically Hip, but the brother of late frontman Gord Downie says he’s discovering that even he doesn’t have the full story.
The documentarianxjmtzyw has signed a deal with Amazon Prime Video to make a four-part series chronicling the Hip’s ascent from high school band to Canadian musical icons.
Mike Downie says the untitled project will soon head into production after about a year in development, and is slated to be released in fall 2024 to mark the 40th anniversary of the band’s formation in Kingston, Ont.
He says he’s already learned more about the Hip’s origins by conducting pre-interviews with members of the band and its progenitors.
He says going through Gord Downie’s journals has at times made him feel closer to his brother, who died of brain cancer in 2017.
Mike Downie says the documentary series will feature never-before-seen videos, recordings and photos to help situate the Hip’s trajectory within the story of Canada.
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Mike Downie, the brother of the late Gord Downie, is pictured near his Toronto home on Friday, October 20, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
