Writer/director Craig Brewer has long treated music not as background to his films, but as a living presence inside them. Memphis hip-hop pulses through Hustle & Flow. Delta blues haunt Black Snake Moan. Country and rock drive his remake of Footloose. Funk and soul electrify Dolemite Is My Name.
Key Insights
- Craig Brewer’s best work happens when music is treated as a character, not background, shaping performance, tone and emotional truth.
- Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson built their chemistry in the recording studio first, proving that shared vulnerability creates believable on-screen partnerships.
- Casting director Mary Vernieu strengthened the film by pairing established stars with young actors who could confidently hold their own.
With Song Sung Blue, Brewer turns to the catalog of Neil Diamond, filtered through the true story of real-life tribute duo Mike and Claire Sardina, known onstage as Lightning & Thunder. Portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, the film follows a married couple who chase an unlikely second act as performers, building a devoted regional following while navigating real issues such as Mike’s past addiction struggles and Claire’s leg amputation from a traumatic accident. (The real-life Claire served as a consultant on the film; Mike passed away in 2006).
Hudson’s performance as Claire has earned numerous nominations, including Critics Choice, BAFTA, Golden Globes and the upcoming SAG and Academy Awards nominations. At a press conference attended by Casting Networks, Hudson, Jackman and Brewer spoke about their collaboration.
Song Sung Blue is rooted in the 2008 documentary of the same name, which Brewer saw years ago and immediately connected with. Brewer said that, while watching the documentary, he was not just drawn to the music, but to a mature love story that asked whether it was still possible to chase a teenage dream in your forties or fifties.
“To see that in this story with Lightning & Thunder … I remember sitting in that theater … and I was like, ‘This is it. This is the movie I know that I’m supposed to make,’” he said.
Hudson was drawn to Claire for more than one reason. Like Claire, the actress kickstarted her own music career in her mid-40s (Hudson’s debut album, Glorious, came out in 2024). She also admired Claire’s courage and perseverance in surviving two near-fatal car accidents, two years apart, without letting either deter her from doing what she loved, alongside the person she loved.
“What is life if we’re not living it every second?” Hudson said. “Anything could happen at any moment. Claire’s accident was a moment where you look at your life and go, ‘What are we doing if we’re not doing exactly what we want to be doing, and what makes us feel good and happy and connected?’”
For Jackman, a Broadway veteran who has belted out songs in musical films like The Greatest Showman and Les Misérables, Song Sung Blue presented a different kind of challenge as it was not in the musical theater style he knows so well.
Finding Mike’s voice was “a journey” because Jackman had to shed his own singing instincts and not only “lock in” to Mike’s style, but honor the additional layer of Mike as an artist paying tribute to – not imitating – Neil Diamond.
“I’m insanely curious about the person I’m playing,” Jackman noted of his acting process. “Mike is the guy who would just get up and sing. It doesn’t matter where it was, what the song was, he would just sing … For him, the act of making music, of performing, of being of service in a way of wanting to entertain people, that is something I had to really, really lean into.”
Brewer’s script may have attracted stars like Jackman and Hudson, but both actors soon realized the film would only work if they believed in and supported each other. After an emotional early read-through, Hudson turned to Jackman and said simply, “This movie only works if we work.”
Jackman agreed. “We went literally straight into the recording studio. That’s when we really bonded as people, as actors, and as Lightning & Thunder.”
Sitting on a couch, microphones in front of them, recording Diamond’s “Holly Holy,” something clicked.
“That’s when I got chills,” Jackson said. “That’s when I knew musically we would blend.”
Hudson echoed the sentiment: “It was a great entry point for us to sort of break open a bit and be vulnerable with each other.”
That time in the recording studio proved to be their real rehearsal. Day after day, working on duets, the pair refined harmonies and created new ones, with Hudson elevating the music through inventive layering onto songs that originally had none.
“I’m a huge fan of Kate’s and of her music,” Jackman offered. “When we sang together, it felt magical.”
Hudson felt it went even deeper than that: “I think our training has been our lives. We met at a certain point in our life and all of the experiences that we’ve had, and all of the things that we’ve been through, we were able to access those things.”
To round out the ensemble cast, Bewer once again collaborated with casting director Mary Vernieu, with whom he previously worked on Dolemite Is My Name. That film helped spotlight then-rising talents, including Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
On Song Sung Blue, Brewer told Casting Networks that Vernieu’s challenge was finding young actors who could hold their own alongside seasoned stars like Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi and Michael Imperioli.
“Mary has a real gift in finding talented people,” Brewer noted. Both Mike and Claire had daughters, and he was looking for actresses who had “talent and presence that’s going to announce themselves when you see their work.” Ella Anderson, best known for her role on Nickelodeon’s Henry Danger, was cast as Claire’s daughter Rachel, while musician King Princess was cast as Mike’s daughter Angelina.
“I’ll never forget watching Ella Anderson’s audition, and thinking she was so special,” Brewer recalled. “I saw King Princess do her audition as well, but it wasn’t until I was in prep that I found out that King Princess is this rockstar!”
Rounding out the cast is Hudson Hensley as Claire’s son Dana, one more piece of an ensemble that exceeded expectations.
“I feel like we really lucked out, not only with the children, but this ensemble cast, with Hugh and Kate anchoring,” Brewer concluded.
Key Takeaways
- If you are portraying a real person, immerse yourself in their spirit rather than imitating their surface traits.
- Strong collaboration between leads is not optional in relationship-driven stories, it is the engine that makes the film work.
- Thoughtful casting across generations elevates ensemble storytelling and gives emerging actors space to shine alongside veterans.
