Judd Apatow Producing Doc On Eels’ E

Eels frontman Mark Oliver Everett — better known as E — is getting the feature documentary treatment. Titled The Way I Was Made: The Story of a Man Called E, the film is being produced by Judd Apatow and Robert Schwartzman and directed by Gus Black, with backing from Utopia, the company behind music docs such as Meet Me in the Bathroom and Pavements. It’s currently in production, with a release date to be announced.

The Way I Was Made promises an unflinching look at Everett’s life and career, which has been marked by survival, grief and creative persistence. As a teenager, Everett discovered his father dead; years later, he lost both his sister and mother in close succession. Rather than chase fame, he channeled that trauma into a body of work that has become one of indie rock’s most quietly revered catalogs.

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Since their 1996 debut Beautiful Freak, Eels have released 15 studio albums, carving out a singular lane that blends orchestral pop, lo-fi intimacy and dark humor. Along the way, Everett has earned admiration from peers across generations, including Tom Waits, the Who’s Pete Townshend and former Journey singer Steve Perry, who performed live for the first time in nearly 18 years when he guested with Everett at three impromptu 2014 gigs.

Black, who has previously collaborated with Eels on music videos, frames the documentary as a portrait of an artist shaped by extremes. “E’s story is a truly unique and compelling tale of an American original,” he says of the effort, which will feature previously unheard music, rare archival footage and unseen performances. “Shaped by harrowing circumstances, he chose to forge his own artistic path: one full of jarring twists, dark turns and unexpectedly bright forecasts.”

“I’ve always thought E’s story would make for a fantastic documentary,” adds Apatow. “I am confused by why it has taken this long.” Notes Schwartzman, “everyone at Utopia was immediately drawn to Gus Black’s deeply human telling of the Eels story. It takes real courage to be this vulnerable about such personal chapters of E’s life, and we’re proud to stand behind that honesty.”

Everett told SPIN in 2022 that he is “constantly amazed that I am one of the lucky few people in the world who gets to do what they want to do for a job. When I was young, I had no hope for the future, for my future. So the fact that I got to make one album is still amazing, let alone all these other albums and the fact that I’m still here, particularly with my family history.”

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