Who, in the year of our lord 2023, still cares about MySpace? Some people, apparently, as Deadline has learned that Gunpowder & Sky and The Documentary Group are working on a new documentary that will tell the story of what was one of the world’s most popular social media sites, founded in August 2003 by Chris DeWolfe and the dry-erase-board guy, Tom Anderson. MySpace, which seems to concern itself mostly with music these days, has cycled through various owners over the past decade or so, including Justin Timberlake, Time Inc., and Meredith Corporation, the latter of whom ended up selling its shares of Viant Technology Holding Inc. to Viant Technology LLC, MySpace’s current owners, in 2019.
“While working at MTV, we were all obsessed with Myspace and how they were able to build a filter-less connection between musicians and their fans – as well as fans with other fans,” said Gunpowder & Sky CEO Van Toffler. “We tried to build it, buy it, befriend it, even mimic it – ultimately observing it as big media and tech coveted everything about it. Hell, without Myspace there’s no TikTok, no Facebook, no YouTube, no Instagram, no social media. The first ones in aren’t always the biggest, or the last ones standing, but they sure do break some shit along the way and have stories to tell.”
“I remember being on Myspace in the beginning,” added director Tommy Avallone. “In fact, Myspace is where I first started talking to my now-wife. It was an amazing time – before our phones took over our lives, the internet was fun, not a responsibility. Myspace was a party you could only join by sitting at a computer and I’m very excited to tell the origin story of who we have become through social media. I’ve already put together my Myspace playlist of bangers.”
The doc will unite the original leaders of Myspace, which was founded by Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe, with the current owners Viant Technology, run by Tim and Chris Vanderhook.
It will also feature many of the original Myspace crew, as well as a slew of notable stars who got their start on the platform.