One Direction: This Is Us

Lore & Background

The film was first announced by the band on The Today Show in New York's Rockefeller Plaza on 12 November 2012. Morgan Spurlock, who had unsuccessfully negotiated to direct similar films for Justin Bieber and Katy Perry, took on the project because of the band's fast-track rise to stardom. Filming began in Tokyo on 17 January 2013 using 3D 4K resolution RED Epic digital cameras, with a majority shot at London's O2 Arena in early April. The film was initially referred to as 1D3D before being named One Direction: This Is Us on 19 March 2013.

The film features appearances from director Martin Scorsese and his daughter Francesca, comedian Chris Rock, and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. It includes footage of fans telling stories following a YouTube request, as well as comment from Simon Cowell, who was the band's mentor on The X Factor and a producer of the film. The band members stated the film was not scripted, with Harry Styles noting the cameras were scary but allowed them to show more personality, and Niall Horan remarking that the crew had access to all areas, even filming them in the toilet.

Reader's Guide

One Direction: This Is Us is significant as a commercial success in the concert film genre, grossing $68.5 million worldwide and becoming the fourth highest-grossing concert film. It topped the box office on its opening weekend, earning $17 million, and outperformed several other concert films, though it did not surpass Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds, or Michael Jackson's This Is It. The film received mixed critical reviews, with a 64% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 49 out of 100, but audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it an average grade of "A." The audience was 87% female and 65% under the age of 17. Critics noted the film's sanitized, packaged portrayal of the band, with some comparing it to other teen-oriented concert documentaries. The film's legacy lies in its documentation of One Direction's peak popularity and its role in the concert film market, though it was criticized for lacking depth and presenting a highly curated image of the band.

Did You Know?

• The film was shot in 3D with 4K resolution RED Epic digital cameras.
• The world premiere was held in Leicester Square, London on 20 August 2013.
• The film made a net profit of $18 million when factoring all expenses and revenues.
• The theatrical poster included fan-submitted photos that formed part of the background.