Julie Taymor’s ‘The Glorias’ Pivots From Theatrical Release, Sets Amazon Debut Prior To The Election

EXCLUSIVE: The Glorias is shifting from a theatrical release and heading straight to Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Julie Taymor, the non-traditional film chronicling the life of iconic activist Gloria Steinem is set to stream exclusively on Prime Video in U.S. and Canada and be available for purchase on all Electronic Sell-Through platforms starting September 30.

The Glorias debuted at Sundance earlier this year and was acquired by Roadside Attractions and LD Entertainment shortly after its premiere. The pic was set for a September 25 theatrical release, but, as with all films, things remained up in the air due to the current landscape. Even so, Roadside & LD shared Taymor and producers Lynn Hendee and Alex Saks’ passion for the film and felt that it should reach the widest possible audience prior to the election.

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“The message of Gloria’s life and activism and spirit speak so strongly to the current moment, and we collectively decided to pivot from a theatrical release to this new, digital plan to give the film its widest audience, right away,” said Roadside co-presidents Howard Cohen and Eric d’Arbeloff.

Based on the Steinem’s own memoir My Life on the Road, Taymor uses her distinct creative, innovative vision seen in films like Frida and Across the Universe to tell this story via a nontraditional lens. She uses a bus on an open highway via five versions of Gloria to detail her journey as an icon of the women’s rights and beyond.

On this road trip, The Glorias takes audiences across five decades with Oscar winners Julianne Moore and Alicia Vikander as well as Lulu Wilson and Ryan Kiera Armstrong in portraying Steinem at different stages of her life. The film also introduces a number of iconic women who had a profound influence on Gloria and the women’s movement, including Dorothy Pitman Hughes (Janelle Monáe), Flo Kennedy (Lorraine Toussaint), Bella Abzug (Bette Midler), Dolores Huerta (Monica Sanchez) and Wilma Mankiller (Kimberly Guerrero).

During Sundance, Taymor told Deadline about the timeliness of the film saying “You look at the events in that film and you go, ‘Wow, we’re in the exact same position or going backward in some cases’.” She said that the importance of this film is to keep people in tune “with the struggle, with the accomplishments of these women.”

In addition to directing, Taymor co-wrote the film with Sarah Ruhl. Taymor also produced the film alongside Alex Saks of Page Fifty-Four Productions and Lynn Hendee. David Kern, Marcei A. Brown, Amy Richards, Jenny Warburg, Sarah Johnson, and Regina Scully serve as Executive Producers. The production team includes Oscar-winning costume designer Sandy Powell, Oscar-winning composer Elliot Goldenthal, Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, production designer Kim Jennings, and editor Sabine Hoffman​​.