Howard (film)
Howard is a 2018 American documentary film written and directed by Disney film producer Don Hahn.
| Howard | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Don Hahn |
| Produced by | Don Hahn Lori Korngiebel Jonathan Polenz |
| Written by | Don Hahn |
| Starring | Howard Ashman Sarah Gillespie Jeffrey Katzenberg Bill Lauch Alan Menken Peter Schneider |
| Music by | Alan Menken |
| Edited by | Stephen Yao |
Production company | Stone Circle Pictures |
| Distributed by | Disney+ |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Summary
The film documents the life of songwriter Howard Ashman, who wrote the lyrics for the songs in the Disney classics The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin, as well as the stage musical, Little Shop of Horrors, and who died from AIDS at the age of 40.[1]
Releases
Howard premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, and was nominated for the Best Documentary Award at the 2018 Heartland Film Festival, before having a limited theatrical run on December 18, 2018. On October 18, 2019, it was announced that the film will be released on Disney+ in 2020.[2]
Critical reception
It has earned critical praise.[3] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter called it "a rich cinematic portrait"[4] while Melissa Leon of The Daily Beast stated that the film is "riddled with gems from the production of now-iconic films".[5]
References
- Low, Elaine; Low, Elaine (2019-10-18). "Disney Plus Fleshes Out Nonfiction Slate, Including 'Howard,' 'Science Fair,' Mickey Mouse Docu". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
- Tribeca Review: HOWARD Honors Disney's Musical Genius|Birth. Movies. Death.
- Hollywood Rpeorter
- How AIDS Shaped ‘Beauty and the Beast’: Remembering Disney Songwriting Genius Howard Ashman - The Daily Beast