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A decade on from his death, George Michael is returning to screens as a previously unseen concert film from his landmark Faith Tour hits cinemas.
Footage of the "Careless Whisper" singer at the height of his fame on stage at Paris’s Bercy Arena was captured by 14 cameras on 35mm film during his first solo tour, the 1988 Faith Tour. Filmed over two nights, it shows Michael fresh off the release of his hit album Faith, at a life-changing moment in his career.
The film was never released, until now, with the late Wham! musician's long-time collaborators Andy Morahan and David Austin announcing that the footage had been newly restored and remastered for cinema release.
George Michael: The Faith Tour will be accompanied by an 18-track live album from The Faith Tour, featuring both live recordings and unreleased Wham! and solo material.
There will also be a short film made by Paul McCartney's photographer daughter Mary, which includes unseen pictures of Michael by the photographer Herb Ritts and audio from a previously unheard interview with the pop star.
One year after Wham! disbanded in 1986, Michael released his first solo album. Titled Faith, the record was a huge hit, gaining four number ones including the title track and "Father Figure".
Faith won Album of the Year at the Grammys and Michael was named “Best British Male” at the Brit Awards; it remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.
In the wake of the album's success, Michael headed out on his first tour as a solo act, playing 109 shows across the world between February 1988 and July 1989.
Footage from shows in Rotterdam and Madrid were broadcast at the time, yet the footage from the shows in Paris on 30 and 31 May 1988 has never been released.
George Michael: The Faith Tour will arrive in cinemas around the world later this year, 10 years on from the singer's death on Christmas Day 2016 aged 53. He was found by his partner Fadi Fawaz, with a coroner ruling that he has died of natural causes due to dilated cardiomyopathy with myocarditis and fatty liver disease.
Speaking about working with Michael, guitarist Hugh Burns, who performed on his 1984 hit “Careless Whisper”, told The Independent in 2024: “The thing about George that was exceptional – and I’ve worked with a lot of wonderful singers – is that he had all his ideas in his head.
"Very often he would sing it to you, to give you an idea. He was very strict on detail, and he had a remarkable talent for getting the feel just right.”
