Canadian music icon Sarah McLachlan has launched a stunning public critique of Disney, accusing the entertainment giant of effectively burying a deeply personal documentary about her life and career after acquiring the rights to it.
The revelation came during a candid interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where the Grammy-winning artist discussed the project's fate with palpable disappointment.
'A Real Heartbreaker': McLachlan's Disney Disappointment
"It's a real heartbreaker," McLachlan told Kimmel, describing the moment she learned Disney had decided not to release the film. The documentary, which offered an intimate look at her journey as an artist and the creation of her landmark Lilith Fair festival, was completed and ready for audiences.
Disney acquired the film as part of its takeover of 20th Century Fox, but instead of giving it a platform on their streaming service Disney+ or a theatrical release, they placed it on a shelf, leaving it in limbo.
An Intimate Portrait Lost
The film was far from a standard career retrospective. McLachlan explained it was a vulnerable and honest portrayal, capturing a specific, challenging period where she was grappling with writer's block while attempting to create new music.
"It's me at my most raw and vulnerable, trying to write songs again and being really afraid," she shared. The documentary also delved into the profound legacy of Lilith Fair, the all-female music festival she co-founded in the 1990s that championed women in music and became a cultural phenomenon.
The Corporate Shuffle
The core of the issue lies in the corporate merger between Disney and Fox. McLachlan's documentary was one of countless projects caught in the transition, deemed non-essential to the new parent company's strategic vision.
This left the artist and the filmmakers in a frustrating position, unable to shop the documentary to other distributors because Disney retained the rights. For fans and music historians, it represents a significant loss—a firsthand account of a pivotal artist and movement from a unique moment in time.
While McLachlan expressed her frustration, the interview wasn't without its lighter moments. She and Kimmel also reminisced about her famous "Angel" ASPCA commercials, which became so iconic they were widely parodied. Despite the documentary setback, McLachlan's enduring impact on music and culture remains unquestionable.
