YouTube Picks Up Johnny Cash Documentary

YouTube has picked up “The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash,” a documentary set to premiere on Oct. 8. The 90-minute documentary, which world premiered at SXSW 2019 and is directed by Thom Zimny, explores the artistic victories, the personal tragedies, the struggles with addiction, and the spiritual pursuits that colored Cash’s life.

The original composition for the project was composed and performed by Mike McCready, and the companion soundtrack to the film, The Gift: The Journey Of Johnny Cash (The Original Soundtrack) will be released in the fall of 2019 by Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. “The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash” will screen at the Telluride Film Festival on Friday, Aug. 30 and Saturday, Aug. 31 in Telluride, Colorado.

For the first time, YouTube’s audience of two billion logged in monthly users will have the opportunity to enjoy new YouTube original series and specials released after Sept. 24, 2019 for free with ads. YouTube’s subscription service, YouTube Premium, will continue to offer ad-free access to all YouTube Originals with all episodes available to them at once to binge. Additionally, YouTube Premium subscribers will have exclusive access to director’s cuts and bonus content of YouTube Originals when available. The news follows record growth for YouTube Originals, with total views of the full slate growing more than 40% compared to last year. 

“Today, we are welcoming a global audience to enjoy our award-winning series and specials,” said Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer for YouTube. “We see a tremendous opportunity to develop more region-specific content, particularly in Europe, Asia and Latin America, and will continue to partner with the biggest stars and creators in the world to share their stories and voices.”