Paramount+, the streaming service from ViacomCBS, and MTV Entertainment Studios have announced that Madonna’s highly-anticipated documentary film, MADAME X, will exclusively debut on Paramount+ in the U.S., Latin America, Australia, the Nordics and Canada beginning on Friday, October 8. Fans outside of these markets can watch the documentary on MTV.
Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, the film captures the pop icon’s rare and rapturous tour performance, hailed by sold out theatrical audiences worldwide. The unprecedented intimate streaming experience will take viewers on a journey as compelling and audacious as Madonna’s fearless persona, Madame X, a secret agent traveling around the world, changing identities, fighting for freedom and bringing light to dark places.
“Sharing my vision with global audiences has been profoundly meaningful to me. The opportunity to bring its message and the incandescent artistry of all involved to an even wider audience comes at a time when music is so deeply needed to remind us of the sacred bond of our shared humanity,” said Madonna.
“Madonna is undoubtedly the world’s biggest superstar, never ceasing to push boundaries and shape the pop culture landscape. She and MTV together have an incredibly storied history and we are thrilled to continue to amplify our partnership globally with the exclusive world premiere of MADAME X streaming on Paramount+ this October,” said Bruce Gillmer, Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount+ and President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events, ViacomCBS.
Madonna’s virtuoso performance in MADAME X celebrates the seven-time Grammy Award winner’s 14th studio album of the same name, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, and captures new music alongside previous hits and fan favorites for an unrivaled theatrical journey. The linguistically diverse album, inspired by her life immersed in the rich cultural influences of Lisbon, is a love letter to multiculturalism and a testament to Madonna’s transformative influence on, and respect for, global culture. It earned praise from The New York Times as a “reimagine[d] pop spectacle for a theater stage, merging her newest music and calls for political awareness with striking intimacy.”
Universally celebrated for its artistry and risk-taking, MADAME X features 48 on-stage performers including Madonna’s children, musicians and dancers from around the globe, and the all-female Orquestra Batukadeiras, whose performance of “Batuka” evokes Batuque, a style of music created by the women originating from Cape Verde. The tour has elicited critical acclaim from fans and media alike, with Forbes proclaiming, “As Madame X, Madonna Is Her Most Authentic Onstage Self In Years,” and Billboard describing her “at her best, unapologetic, uncompromising, unyielding and in complete control.” The Atlantic describes its cultural impact: “The power of a show as successful as this is that it beams you directly into a warm, sassy, transfixing human’s brainspace and makes you believe in its rightness. What better entertainment could there be than leaving the theater feeling like a pop star might just save the world?”
From MTV Entertainment Studios, MADAME X is directed by Ricardo Gomes and SKNX. The Madame X Tourwas created and directed by a team led by Madonna, including Jamie King as Creative Producer and Megan Lawson as Co-Director and Lead Choreographer. Additional creative contribution and choreography by Damien Jalet, Costume Design by Eyob Yohannes, Musical Direction by Kevin Antunes and Set Design by Ric Lipson for Stufish Entertainment Architects.
About Madonna:
MADONNA released her 14th studio album, Madame X, in 2019, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Following the success of the album, the seven-time Grammy Award-winner embarked on the sold-out Madame X Tour, a series of rare and intimate performances which took place exclusively in theaters and gave fans around the world an opportunity to see Madonna in an environment like they had never seen before. The New York Times said, “Her Madame X show reimagines pop spectacle for a theater stage, merging her newest music and calls for political awareness with striking intimacy.” Madonna is currently developing her biopic which she will direct. The film will follow Madonna’s rise to prominence as the culture-shaping musician, actress, director, author, and entrepreneur she is today. Beyond her music career, Madonna is the co-founder of Raising Malawi, a non-profit that is dedicated to helping with the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi’s one million orphans, primarily through health and education programming.
