David Byrne and Spike Lee unite for first American Utopia trailer

David Byrne is bringing his American Utopia from the stage to HBO.

The network released the first teaser trailer for its filmed version of Byrne's acclaimed stage show on Monday, directed by Oscar winner Spike Lee. Lee filmed the recorded version during American Utopia's original Broadway run, which spanned from October 2019 to February 2020 at the Hudson Theatre in New York.

The show features Byrne and 11 other international musicians performing a mix of tracks from throughout his career, with selections from his solo work (including his 2018 album of the same name), his time with the Talking Heads, and a cover of Janelle Monáe's "Hell You Talmbout."

The hit show was originally scheduled to return to Broadway for a second run this fall, but its future plans are unclear as Broadway theaters have remained closed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. In the meantime, the Lee-directed film will premiere in September as the opening selection of the Toronto International Film Festival (which is going digital this year, due to, once again, the pandemic).

American Utopia will debut on HBO on Oct. 17. Watch the teaser above.

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