Bruce Springsteen-Inspired ‘Blinded by the Light’ Movie Gets Release Date
Having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last month, Blinded by the Light, a movie about a Muslim growing up in '80s Britain who becomes a Bruce Springsteen fan, has received a release date. Distributor Warner Bros. has revealed that it will come out on in U.S. cinemas on Aug. 14, 2019.
The news was reported via the Wrap, and comes only a few weeks after Warner Bros. and its subsidiary New Line acquired the global distribution rights, with the exception of the U.K., Australia and New Zealand, which had been sold prior to the festival.
Based on British journalist Sarfraz Manzoor's memoir Greetings From Bury Park, Blinded by the Light tells the story of a Pakistani immigrant who, at the age of 16, gets turned on to Springsteen's music via a friend. He notices a parallel between the themes in Springsteen's lyrics and his own struggles, both with his identity as a British Muslim and his father, and it inspires him to become a writer. The movie was directed by Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) and stars Viveik Kalra, Nell Williams, Hayley Atwell and Rob Brydon.
The film received a standing ovation at Sundance and, although it had been rumored that Springsteen would attend the screening, he declined, telling Chadha that "he didn’t want to take away from the movie." However, she told the crowd that Springsteen had seen the movie last year and told her, "Thank you for looking after me so beautifully. Don’t change a thing; it’s perfect.”