Today, Apple Original Films announced the groundbreaking new documentary event “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” a bold and lyrical visual exploration of Bono’s one-man show by the same name, to premiere globally on Friday, May 30, 2025 on Apple TV+. Based on his celebrated memoir, “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story,” and the accompanying book/theatre tour, the film hails from RadicalMedia and Plan B Entertainment, with award-winning filmmaker Andrew Dominik (“The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “Blonde”) directing.
“Bono: Stories of Surrender” is a vivid reimagining of Bono’s critically acclaimed one-man stage show, “Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief… “ As he pulls back the curtain on a remarkable life and the family, friends, and faith that have challenged and sustained him, he also reveals personal stories about his journey as a son, father, husband, activist, and rock star. Along with never-before-seen, exclusive footage from the Beacon Theatre shows, the film features Bono performing many of the iconic U2 songs that have shaped his life and legacy.
Also set to premiere on May 30, 2025 on Apple Vision Pro, “Bono: Stories of Surrender (Immersive)” will be the first feature-length film available in Apple Immersive Video, a remarkable media format recorded in 8K with Spatial Audio to produce a 180-degree video that places viewers onstage with Bono and in the center of his story. With this special edition of the film available only on Vision Pro, viewers will feel completely immersed in the music and storytelling. Releasing an immersive version of the film for Vision Pro alongside its debut on Apple TV+ is the latest example of Bono’s enduring commitment to innovation. Since U2’s earliest days, Bono and the band have consistently pushed boundaries and embraced new technologies to forge deeper and unexpected connections with their audience.
Academy Award and Emmy Award®-winning RadicalMedia’s Jon Kamen and Dave Sirulnick (“Summer of Soul,” “Hamilton,” “David Byrne’s American Utopia”) produce alongside Academy Award®-winning Plan B Entertainment’s Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner (upcoming “F1,” “Moonlight,” “12 Years a Slave”). Bono executive produces with Jennifer Pitcher (“Kiss the Future”) and Kelly McNamara (“V-U2 an Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas”).
“Bono: Stories of Surrender,” an abridged and updated paperback edition of Bono’s bestselling memoir, will be released concurrently with the documentary film. Introspective, intimate, and irreverent in equal measure, this version has been refined to mirror the arc of his one-man show and features a film tie-in book cover and new introduction by the author.
Born Paul David Hewson, Bono has been headlining stadiums around the world with U2 for more than four decades. The band has sold over 175 million records and won 22 Grammy Awards®. A longtime activist in the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty, Bono is also the co-founder of ONE and (RED). For his music and activism, he has been awarded the Freedom of the City of Dublin, the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, France’s Legion of Honor, and an honorary British knighthood.
“Bono: Stories of Surrender” joins the award-winning slate of Apple Original documentary films, including the recently announced untitled feature on legendary rock icons Fleetwood Mac; Academy Award® winner Davis Guggenheim’s “STILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie,” which swept the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards with five wins, alongside four Emmy Award® wins; Emmy Award®-nominated “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” a uniquely raw and intimate documentary spanning her six-year journey into a new light; Emmy Award®-nominated and PGA Award-winning “STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces,” featuring legendary writer, producer, director, actor and comedian Steve Martin; and Emmy Award-nominated “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry,” among many others.
