Between the tragic deaths of George Michael, Carrie Fisher and the great Debbie Reynolds over the past few weeks, this year’s festive season was tinged with sadness for the entertainment world, as critics, fans and fellow celebrities paid tribute to each fallen star. HBO plans to do the very same with Bright Lights, an upcoming documentary set to chronicle the mother-daughter bond between Fisher and Reynolds.
Originally pegged for release later in the year, in light of recent events, the network has decided to bring the premiere date forward to January, and we now have the heartfelt first trailer to pour over. Pitched as a “love story” by HBO Documentary Films president Sheila Nevins, Bright Lights is written and directed by Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens, and is designed to cast light on the intimate bond between Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds – warts and all. “Carrie wanted to make Bright Lights for Debbie and Debbie wanted to make it for Carrie,” Nevins reveals.
Up above, the trailer invites you into their often chaotic life, beginning with a history lesson on the Fisher/Reynolds family tree before placing a greater emphasis on the actual relationship between one of the more famous mother-daughter pairings in all of Hollywood. Bright Lights naturally carries a more poignant dramatic punch following their death, but even from the footage alone, HBO’s project looks to portray the Fisher/Reynolds bond in a way that is both honest and bittersweet.
Bright Lights will air the documentary on Saturday, January 7. Those in the UK can expect Alexis Bloom and Fisher Stevens’ touching, timely portrait to make its way across the pond on January 10, when it’ll premiere via Sky Atlantic.
