SONY PICTURES CLASSICS SINGS AS 'HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG' CROSSES $1 MILLION AT THE DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE

NEW YORK (September 23, 2022) – Sony Pictures Classics’ documentary HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG, directed by Dan Geller and Dayna Goldfine, has crossed $1 million dollars at the domestic box office, for a total of over $1.2 million globally. The critically acclaimed film opened in July starting in New York and Los Angeles, then gradually expanded to additional markets, receiving 453 playdates domestically.

The documentary continues to play in cities around the world, with particular success in Australia (where the film is still on screen after opening in July) and in the UK launch last weekend. The documentary has screened on the major festival circuit, including the 2021 Venice and Telluride Film Festivals, the 2022 Tribeca Festival, and more.

HALLELUJAH: LEONARD COHEN, A JOURNEY, A SONG is a definitive exploration of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen as seen through the prism of his internationally renowned hymn, “Hallelujah.” This feature-length documentary weaves together three creative strands: The songwriter and his times; the song’s dramatic journey from record label reject to chart-topping hit; and moving testimonies from major recording artists for whom “Hallelujah” has become a personal touchstone. Approved for production by Leonard Cohen just before his 80^th birthday in 2014, the film accesses a wealth of never-before-seen archival materials from the Cohen Trust including Cohen’s personal notebooks, journals and photographs, performance footage, and extremely rare audio recordings and interviews.

Inspired by the book The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of Hallelujah by Alan Light, the documentary was produced and directed by Emmy^® Award-winners Geller and Goldfine (THE GALAPAGOS AFFAIR, BALLETS RUSSES), and executive produced by longtime Geller/Goldfine collaborator Jonathan Dana, Academy Award®-winner Morgan Neville, and Robert Kory, along with Michael Drews and Robin Sagon. The late Hal Willner served as music producer, with John Lissauer providing an original score.

The documentary features interviews with Rufus Wainwright, Brandi Carlile, Judy Collins, Regina Spektor, Amanda Palmer, and Eric Church, amongst others, who have all recorded and performed their own versions of “Hallelujah.” Other interviewees include Leonard’s long-time artistic collaborator Sharon Robinson; John Lissauer, producer and arranger of the original version of “Hallelujah”; record industry legend Clive Davis; and author and ex-Rolling Stone reporter Larry “Ratso” Sloman, who was a long-time interviewer of Cohen.

For additional information and images, visit: https://www.sonyclassics.com/film/hallelujah/

ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS       

Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992—which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world.  Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 41 Academy Awards® (37 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 184 Academy Award® nominations (158 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for THE FATHER, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, WHIPLASH, AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.

ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT      

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services and technologies. SPE’s Motion Picture Group production organizations include Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Animation, Screen Gems, TriStar Pictures, 3000 Pictures, Stage 6 Films, AFFIRM Films, and Sony Pictures Classics. For additional information, visit http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/divisions.html.