It's All Happening: 'Almost Famous' 20th Anniversary Reunion Podcast Is Coming In July
In the time of coronavirus, we've enjoyed plenty of reunions, albeit virtually thanks to the magic of the internet. But we're about to have a cinematic reunion that rings true to the act of "getting the band back together" more than any other.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical film Almost Famous, and Cadence13's Origins podcast series brought in the filmmaker, as well as cast members like Billy Crudup, Patrick Fugit and Kate Hudson, to take a look back at the movie about a teen writer whose dreams come true when he joins an emerging rock band on tour as an assignment for Rolling Stone magazine.
Appropriately, Rolling Stone magazine called our attention to the upcoming Almost Famous reunion podcast that will be debuting on July 8. Origins: Almost Famous Turns Twenty will be a five-part podcast taking a look back at the making of the film and examining its cultural impact and legacy after two decades. There's even a trailer you can listen to through iTunes.
In a statement about the forthcoming Almost Famous reunion podcast, Cameron Crowe said:
"Between his personable style, and the exhaustive research behind his wonderful questions, Jim Miller managed to summon all the spirit and emotion of Almost Famous with the original cast. It's a little bit of a magic trick. He put the band back together."
Joining Crowe on the podcast will be young journalist William Miller (Patrick Fugit), famous band-aid Penny Lane (Kate Hudson), Stillwater guitarist with mystique Russell Hammond (Billy Crudup), the lead singer who gets people off, Jeff Bebe (Jason Lee), record company representative and manage Dennis Hope (Jimmy Fallon), William's sister Anita (Zooey Deschanel), and more.
Famed musician Peter Frampton will also provide insights as the film's technical consultant, and Nancy Wilson of Heart will talk about co-writing Stillwater's songs with Cameron Crowe. Other guests include casting director Gail Levin, rock photographer Neal Preston, and Pennie Trumbull, who is the real-life inspiration for Penny Lane.
For host Jim Miller, this is something special. He said:
"I've loved Almost Famous since day one. It's easy to argue this is one of the greatest films of the past quarter-century, and it was on my Mount Rushmore of movies to share with my daughter. What I wasn't expecting, however, was that Cameron and the cast would — 20 years after the movie's release — remember so much and be so keenly affected by the experience of making the film together. Their memories and deeply personal reflections were raw, and fans of the film will hear a great many new revealing anecdotes and candid observations from all of them."
Almost Famous is one of my favorite films of all-time, and several /Film writers of past and present share an affinity for the movie as well, so this is something we'll definitely be tuning in to hear.
The Almost Famous reunion comes after plenty of other high profile reunions have happened virtually. Reunited Apart has given us big reunions with the casts and filmmakers of Back to the Future, Lord of the Rings, Ghostbusters and more. Shows that have been off the air for years have also come back together, such as the Community table read and the Parks and Recreation special. Even the cast of Scrubs has been putting out a podcast with the cast rewatching and reminiscing about every single episode. It's a good time to be nostalgic as the world burns around us.