Whamania went global in the 1980s. The British pop duo became one of the bestselling groups of all time with songs like “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” and “Careless Whisper.” Now, a new documentary focusing on the lives of Wham!’s George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley is coming to Netflix.
During their four-year tenure, Wham! sold out stadiums and produced chart-topping albums. Following their breakup, Michael became a successful solo act in the ’90s, immersing himself in the high fashion milieu. Micheal featured supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Tatjana Patitz in his music videos for “Too Funky” and “Freedom.”
Below, everything you need to know before streaming “Wham!”
What is the documentary about?
“Wham!” charts the band’s journey from childhood friendship to global superstardom. It begins with Michael and Ridgeley’s upbringing in Hertfordshire, England, followed by their decision to form a band in 1981.
The duo released numerous hits, built a worldwide following and became the first Western act to play in China before their eventual split in 1986.
“Wham!” provides a more personal look at the pop group, including Michael’s struggles as a closeted gay man in the age of the AIDS epidemic. Michael would publicly come out following a 1998 arrest.
Old interviews and archival footage are used to tell the band’s story in “Wham!,” with Ridgeley providing new interviews to narrate the documentary.
Wham!’s style was emblematic of the decade. Graphic Ts, including Katharine Hamnett’s famous “Frankie Says Relax” design, were all the rage in the ’80s.
Wham! sported another creation of Hamnett’s: shirts with the graphic “Choose Life.” The saying was used for an anti-drug and anti-suicide campaign at the time, but according to Hamnett’s website, the “Choose Life” slogan was inspired by Buddhist theology.
“To choose life is to do no harm – to live a good, meaningful life and change the world for the better,” reads a description of the shirt. “Life is only to be found on this planet, and is under threat. Save it.”
When does it come out?
“Wham!” is available to stream starting July 5.
Are there any trailers?
Netflix released the first trailer for “Wham!” on June 15.
Who’s directing?
“Wham!” is directed by Chris Smith, a five-time Emmy nominee who’s produced a plethora of Netflix docu-hits, including “Tiger King,” “Bad Vegan” and “Fyre.”
“I knew so little about the actual band and sort of the journey that they had taken over those four years,” Smith told Smooth Radio of his “Wham!” documentary. “So to me, it was really exciting to go back and unearth and put together all the archival material.”