"Little Richard: I Am Everything," from Academy Award nominated and Emmy-winning director Lisa Cortes, will premiere Sept. 4 at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on CNN.

Heralded as "a sublime tribute," and "the enthralling documentary that Little Richard deserves," the film had its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and tells the story of the Black queer origins of rock n' roll, exploding the whitewashed canon of American pop music to reveal the innovator - the originator - Richard Penniman.

"I made this film because the story of Little Richard is the story of rock 'n roll - and rock 'n roll is the American idiom," says Cortes. "Little Richard embodies all the complexity of our country: its paradoxes and cruelties, its beauty and its genius."

Through a wealth of archive and performance that brings viewers into Richard's complicated inner world, "Little Richard: I Am Everything" unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. In interviews with family, musicians, and cutting-edge Black and queer scholars, including: Nona Hendryx, Mick Jagger, Sir Lady Java, Tom Jones, Jason King, Billy Porter, Nile Rodgers and John Waters, the film reveals how Richard created an art form for ultimate self-expression - yet what he gave to the world he was never able to give to himself.

"The film is aptly called "I am Everything" - Little Richard's life representing an important, albeit unexpected, journey through music," said producer Robert Friedman. "He finally receives his long overdue recognition and well-deserved place in pop culture."

"Little Richard: I Am Everything" is produced by Bungalow Media + Entertainment for CNN Films and Max, in association with Rolling Stone Films. Robert Friedman, Lisa Cortes, Liz Yale Marsh, and Caryn Capotosto are producers. The film is executive produced by Mike Powers, Anita May Rosenstein, and Dee Rees; Jason Fine and Gus Wenner for Rolling Stone Films; and Amy Entelis and Courtney Sexton for CNN Films. The film was released theatrically by Magnolia Pictures.

"Little Richard: I Am Everything" will stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN OTT and mobile apps on Sept. 4. The film will be available On Demand beginning Sept. 5 to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps, and Cable Operator Platforms.

ABOUT CNN FILMS:

The CNN Films group develops and produces nonfiction feature and short films for television, streaming, theatrical distribution, and festival exhibition. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content development, oversees CNN Original Series and CNN Films for CNN Worldwide. Alexandra Hannibal, vice president of CNN Films, supervises production of CNN Films. Since 2012, the team has produced over 60 feature-length and shorts for CNN Films, including the Oscar, BAFTA, and PGA Award-winning, "Navalny," directed by Daniel Roher, about the attempted assassination of Russian opposition leader, Alexey Navalny and "The Last Movie Stars, directed by Ethan Hawke about the lives and careers of actors and humanitarians Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, which is available on HBO Max. There is "Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down," directed by Emmy Award winners Julie Cohen and Betsy West along with Emmy Award-winner "Dreamland: The Burning Of Black Wall Street," directed by Salima Koroma; "Three Identical Strangers," directed by Tim Wardle, nominated for an EmmyAward and a BAFTA; "Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice," which won Best Music Film at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. In addition there is the Primetime Emmy Award-winning "RBG" which was also nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA; and "Apollo 11," directed by Todd Douglas Miller and nominated for five Primetime Emmy Awards; and many others.

CNN Films can be found on CNN, the CNN Originals hub on discovery+, Max, and for pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms. For more information about CNN Films, please follow @CNNFilms via Twitter.

ABOUT BUNGALOW MEDIA +ENTERTAINMENT, LLC:

Founded in 2013 by CEO Robert Friedman, Bungalow Media + Entertainment is an Emmy Award-winning integrated entertainment company that develops, produces and distributes content across all media platforms. Bungalow's recently produced projects include the documentary feature "Little Richard: I Am Everything" for CNN Films/Max, and the series "Serving the Hamptons" also for Max, the four-part mini-series, "Surviving Jeffrey Epstein" for Lifetime, the five-part mini-series "The Preppy Murder" for AMC/Sundance, "The Panama Papers" for EPIX, and Roswell: The First Witness for History. Additional credits include Emmy Award winning "Give" for NBC, "Corvette Heroes" for the History Channel, "The Real SVU" for Lifetime, "Landmarks Live in Concert" for PBS, "36 Hours" with the New York Times for Travel Channel, and scripted dramas "APB" on Fox, Netflix's "Insatiable," and Amazon's "Modern Love." Bungalow has also produced the feature documentaries "The Devil Made Me Do It for Discovery+," "Spring Broke" on Showtime, "We the People: The Market Basket Effect" and the Clive Owen feature film, "The Confirmation," among others.

ABOUT WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY:

Warner Bros. Discovery is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world's most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, Max, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Film Group, Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Espanol, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.

IN OTHER TV NEWS:

THE CW NETWORK SETS NEW PREMIERE FOR "THE SWARM" ON SEPT. 12

The CW Network has set a new premiere date for the global hit event series "The Swarm." It's will now debut on Sept. 12 (9 p.m. ET/PT). From "Game of Thrones" executive producer Frank Doelger, the series about an unknown enemy that lives deep below the sea has already captivated over ten million viewers internationally.

Around the world, strange happenings, borne out of the oceans: Whales destroy boats, deep sea crabs attack beaches, mussels block container ships. An unknown ice worm destabilizes continental slopes and triggers tsunamis. A deadly pathogen spreads into the drinking water. Across the globe, lives are increasingly imperiled, the situation worsening by the day - and yet, nobody can draw a connection between the seemingly random attacks. Except for a group of scientists who come together through their shared sense that something bigger is at play: an intelligent life force, dwelling in the deep - capable of manipulating the ocean, and everything that resides in it. A being which has borne witness to our destruction of the seas and has decided to drive us to extinction. But hardly anyone believes their findings. And so, the group is forced to undertake a life-threatening mission, tracking the intelligent life force within the Arctic Ocean. It is a mission they know may claim their lives.

Based on the bestselling novel by Frank Schatzing, "The Swarm" is created by executive producer Frank Doelger ("Game of Thrones"), Eric Welbers, Oscar-nominated producer Marc Huffam ("The Martian," "Saving Private Ryan") and Ute Leonhardt ("Killing Eve").

Editor's Note: Information used in this preview feature provided by CNN Films publicity and the CW Network.