Netflix is preparing for a summer release for its new EDM-themed movie XOXO. The video streaming service has just announced that legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong will act as music supervisor for the film, which is scheduled to become available on its streaming platform beginning on Aug. 26.
The film is described as an EDM-based ensemble comedy, based around a group of friends planning to attend the XOXO electronic music-themed festival, apparently based on similar real-life festivals such as Tomorrowland, Electric Daisy Carnival, Coachella and others.
The plot involves an up-and-coming DJ who has been given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play at XOXO, and the subsequent trials and tribulations he and his group of friends encounter as they make their way to the show.
The EDM genre has experienced its share of fails when it comes to attempts to capture the energy and spirit of the movement on the big screen. Last summer's theatrical release, We Are Your Friends, starring Zac Efron as an aspiring disc jockey, was an abysmal box office failure, ranking as one of the lowest grossing film debuts in history for a movie being shown in over 2,000 theaters. Critics described it as wooden and cliché, and that it failed to capture the essence of the electronic music movement.
Netflix is hoping to add some authenticity to its shot at a successful EDM-themed movie by hiring none other than the legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong as music supervisor for XOXO. Tong is one of the true pioneers of electronic dance music, and has acted as music supervisor for various media projects, including the All Gone Pete Tong series, 24 Hour Party People and perhaps his most enduring and iconic role as host of BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix, which features a weekly two-hour performance by one of the world's top DJs. Tong's role extends to that of co-producer of the film and adds the credibility that prior attempts to capture the electronic music movement have lacked.
Though additional details are sparse, the film is currently described by Netflix with the blurb "XOXO follows six strangers whose lives collide in one frenetic, dream-chasing, hopelessly romantic night."
Stars of the ensemble comedy include Sarah Hyland, Hayley Kiyoko, Ryan Hansen, Ione Skye, Graham Phillips, Ian Anthony Dale, Medalion Rahimi and Chris D'Elia.
Whether Netflix will get it right where others have failed is still a question mark, but the announcement of Tong's participation holds out hope for an authentic depiction of the EDM scene. The film is scheduled to be released on the streaming service on Aug. 26.
