‘The Return Of Tanya Tucker — Featuring Brandi Carlile’: Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Doc Following SXSW Premiere

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to the feature documentary The Return of Tanya Tucker — Featuring Brandi Carlile, on the heels of its world premiere at SXSW.

The film from director Kathlyn Horan (The If Project) tells the story of the trailblazing, hell-raising country music legend Tucker, who defied the standards of how a woman in country music was supposed to behave. Decades after she slipped from the spotlight, six-time Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Carlile takes it upon herself to write an entire album for her hero based on Tanya’s extraordinary life, spurring the greatest comeback in country music history.

Horan’s TinFish Films produced alongside Motto Pictures’ Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements and Carolyn Hepburn (The Velvet Underground), in association with Impact Partners and Artemis Rising. Carlile and InMaat Productions exec produced alongside Lynn Hubbard & David Zapolsky, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, The Wadsworth Family, Regina K. Scully, and Adam & Melony Lewis.

“It’s so surreal to see my life captured moment by moment during the recording process with Brandi, as well as some footage that I haven’t seen in decades!” said Tucker. “Sony Pictures Classics is the perfect partner and I can’t wait for the world to see this masterpiece Kathlyn and her team captured!”

“I’m over the moon that this special documentary has found such a perfect home with Sony Pictures Classics,” said Carlile. “I don’t think there’s a more fascinating human being on the planet than Tanya Tucker. I can’t wait for the world to fall In love with this legend all over again.”

“I am honored to be part of the Sony Pictures Classics family. I’ve always admired the caliber of their films. I know they’ll be the most passionate partners in bringing The Return of Tanya Tucker – Featuring Brandi Carlile to audiences,” said Horan. “One of the most exciting aspects of this project is the coming together of these two different worlds of Country & Americana music. Both Tanya and Brandi are changemakers in different ways, and the strength they represent and joy they bring is something we are ecstatic to be able to capture with this film.”

“The Return of Tanya Tucker shows the birth of a major filmmaker in Kathlyn Horan featuring a close personal look at Tanya Tucker through incredible creative and personal engagement with Brandi Carlile and her many collaborators,” added Sony Pictures Classics in a statement. “One of the great movies about music creation and inspiration. We are so excited to be involved with a movie that we know will move and energize audiences everywhere.”

Sony Pictures Classics negotiated the deal with Submarine on behalf of the filmmakers.