Luther Vandross holds the distinction of being one of R&B’s most illustrious voices of all time, and now his fans have the opportunity to revisit his successful career and personal life journey in the new documentary, Luther: Never Too Much. The posthumous documentary follows in the footsteps of similar ones, Sidney about Sidney Poitier and Moonage Daydream about David Bowie.
As far as Vandross, it’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 20 years since the eight-time Grammy-winning crooner passed away. Those who loved his music will recall that he once cranked out hits like "Superstar," "Dance with My Father," "A House Is Not a Home," "So Amazing" and of course, "Never Too Much," just to name a few. However, outside of his triumphs on the charts, he also dealt with a number of health struggles and losses that had a profound effect on him while he was living. All of these things and more will be explored in the documentary already gaining high marks on Rotten Tomatoes (it had a 96% favorable rating as of September 18).
Here’s everything we know about Luther: Never Too Much.
Luther: Never Too Much release date
Luther: Never Too Much has already been making its rounds on the film festival circuit having premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and later showing at the Tribeca Film Festival. It officially debuts in select theaters in the US on October 30 before becoming more widely distributed on November 1. Following the theatrical release, the documentary premieres on CNN, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and Max in 2025.
We currently don’t have a UK release date for the film, but once one becomes available we’ll pass along the update.
Luther: Never Too Much cast
In addition to footage of Vandross himself, the film also features interviews with Mariah Carey, Roberta Flack, Dionne Warwick, Jamie Foxx and Richard Marx.
Luther: Never Too Much plot
Here is the official synopsis for the documentary:
"Luther: Never Too Much, the documentary film from award-winning director Dawn Porter, chronicles the story of a vocal virtuoso. Using a wealth of rarely-seen archives, Luther tells his own story with assistance from his closest friends and musical collaborators including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson and Roberta Flack. The film relives the many stunning moments of Luther’s musical career, while exploring his personal life, health struggles and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved."
On an interesting note, another big-time star serves as a producer for the film — Jamie Foxx. Both a Grammy-winning musician and Oscar-winning actor, Foxx is best known onscreen for projects like Ray, Collateral and Dream Girls, and he’s most recently starred in things like They Cloned Tyrone and The Burial.
Luther: Never Too Much trailer
Take a look at the trailer for the documentary below and see if you can stop yourself from tapping your feet in response or whistling along to some of Vandross' hits.
Luther: Never Too Much director, Dawn Porter
Dawn Porter took to the director’s chair for Luther: Never Too Much, and she has some experience under her belt directing documentaries. Take a look at her full-length documentaries below:
- Gideon’s Army (2013)
- Spies of Mississippi (2014)
- Trapped (2016)
- John Lewis: Good Trouble (2020)
- The Way I See It (2020)
- Vernon Jordan: Make It Plain (2020)
- Rise Again: Tulsa and the Red Summer (2021)
- Cirque du Soleil: Without a Net (2022)
- The Lady Bird Diaries (2023)
- Power of the Dream (2024)
