Dan Auerbach will make his directorial debut in a documentary feature about Dr. John, aka Mac Rebennack. RadicalMedia has announced its partnership with Auerbach for the project, which will tell a story about the storied musician and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, who died in 2019, and his impact in music and on the culture.

Auerbach says: “From his mysterious voodoo stage persona Dr. John, to his real, humble self Mac Rebannack, the street poet, the family man, the junkie, the Grammy Award winner and all that’s in between, this documentary will introduce the world to him in a way they haven’t seen him before. I’m still learning bits about him that I never knew, and I hope the movie provides a lens into the story of the life of Dr. John.”

Auerbach produced Dr. John's 2012 Nonesuch album Locked Down, which marked a significant departure from his recent efforts and went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Blues Album. The album was an entirely new approach for the iconic Dr. John, featuring as it does his collaboration with Auerbach and a band of young musicians Auerbach hand-picked to make Locked Down at his Nashville studio, Easy Eye Sound. With the album, said NPR, Dr. John, "proves that now, as always, he's the ruler of American roots music."