Song Sung Blue, the forthcoming film inspired by the music and career of Neil Diamond, will hit theaters on Christmas day.
The movie stars Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson as Mike and Claire Sardina, who performed as the Neil Diamond tribute band Lightning & Thunder. The Craig Brewer-directed film also stars Michael Imperioli, Ella Anderson, Mustafa Shakir, Fisher Stevens, and Jim Belushi.
The film’s logline summarizes two down-on-their-luck musicians (Hudson and Jackman) forming a Neil Diamond tribute band to follow their dreams and prove that it’s never too late to find love. The film is based on a true story from the 2008 documentary of the same name directed by Greg Kohs.
Based on the true story from the 2008 documentary of the same name, Song Sung Blue’s logline reads: “Lightning and Thunder, a Milwaukee husband and wife Neil Diamond tribute act, experience soaring success and devastating heartbreak in their musical journey together.”
Though the film won’t hit theaters until Christmas Day, it’s already received some significant accolades. Kate Hudson was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.
Hudson’s decision to play Claire Sardina also allowed her to continue her journey as a musician and songwriter. In a November interview with LA Times, she spoke about her music, having said: “I was always so scared of it. But the studio is where I’m very happy. I’ve been in the studio since I was 19, but I just never shared my music because I was too scared to put it out.” Her debut LP, Glorious, was released in 2024.
Both Hudson and Jackman also spoke about the relationship they needed to foster in order for Song Sung Blue to succeed. “One of the hardest things to do is fake chemistry,” Hudson said in the LA Times interview. “You can’t do that. You have to actually fall in love with each other and find the chemical connection. That was my biggest anxiety.”
Jackman added: “I remember the first day after our table reading, you said, ‘This movie works if we work.’”
