To anyone born before the year 2000, Bob Ross was a familiar, if not friendly face on our television screens. When his genre-transforming instructional art program The Joy of Painting debuted in 1983; no one was truly prepared for the way the show would transform art forever. While on face value, we might think we came to know the late artist well, a new Netflix documentary highlighting the "shockingly untold story" of Bob Ross is on its way, and we already know it will be a wild ride.
Contrary to the image we have of Ross as a carefree and calm spirit, his personal life and empire was unfortunately overcome by “a sinister tale surrounding his name and the empire that was built on it being hijacked by once trusted partners, whose slow betrayal of him continued beyond his death in 1995”.
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed will be coming to Netflix in Australia on August 25. Until then, here's everything we know about the Bob Ross documentary so far.
What is Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed about?
The upcoming Netflix documentary will be both a celebration and commemoration of Ross' immeasurable influence on popular culture; but will also aim to bring to light the legal actions taken by his business partners Annette and Walt Kowalski with the intention to control the Bob Ross brand.
“With a keen appreciation for nature, and a kind and gentle demeanor, Bob Ross encouraged everyone he met to embrace their creativity and believe in themselves, becoming a cultural phenomenon along the way,” a press release read.
“The man who famously said that there were no mistakes – just happy accidents – has brought sheer delight to the world for decades. Beyond the iconic hair, soothing voice and nostalgic paintings lies a mystery that many have yet to discover.”
Who has worked on the project?
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed was directed by Joshua Rofé; the award-winning documentary filmmaker behind the moving 2017 film, Lost For Life. There's still no word on who from Ross' life will play a part in the documentary especially given we know very little about his personal life.
When will the Bob Ross documentary premiere on Netflix?
The documentary will air on the streaming platform on August 25, as part of the impressive list of Netflix August releases. You can watch the teaser trailer, below.
Image: Instagram
