TRON: ARES Director Joachim Rønning to Helm Documentary About the Legendary Piano Behind “Hey Jude” and “Life on Mars”

Joachim Rønning, the filmmaker behind Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, Young Woman and the Sea, and Tron: Ares, is stepping into the world of music history with his next project, a documentary titled Keys of Life.

Co-directed by Ole Sanders, the film will explore the remarkable story of a 100-year-old piano that helped create some of the most iconic songs ever recorded.

Produced by Live Nation Studios and Imagine Documentaries, Keys of Life traces the journey of a C. Bechstein grand piano that once sat inside London’s legendary Trident Studios. T

his isn’t just any piano, it’s the very one The Beatles used to record “Hey Jude” and David Bowie played for “Life on Mars.” It also appeared on classics like Elton John’s “Your Song,” Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain,” Queen’s “Killer Queen,” and Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day.”

For nearly two decades, this piano was a fixture at Trident Studios, fueling some of the most influential music of the 20th century. But in 1981, during an attempted move, the piano was accidentally dropped down a flight of stairs. It crashed to the studio floor, and then, it mysteriously disappeared.

According to the film’s logline, “This documentary will take the audience on a journey with an unparalleled soundtrack as the story of the 100 year old piano unfolds—from creation in Bavaria, to its unprecedented run at Trident, to its mysterious disappearance… and through detective work, possible rediscovery.”

For Rønning, this project is personal. He said: “Having grown up in my dad’s record shop in the seventies, I consider music my first love. And as a filmmaker, I’ve always been looking for a story that gives a glimpse into the world of creating music.

“Now, together with co-director, Ole Sanders, I believe we have discovered just that; an unbelievable fly-on-the-wall tale, about an instrument whose keys and strings have graced the world with some of the most beautiful and recognizable tones in history.

“I’m thrilled to finally be bringing this feature length documentary to life together with my amazing partners at Imagine and Live Nation.”

Brian Grazer and Ron Howard are also producers on the film. Sara Bernstein, president of Imagine Documentaries, shared her excitement for the project, saying, “Imagine’s thrilled to join this incredible band of partners in Joachim, Ole and Live Nation on this fascinating lyrical mystery tour of a documentary.”

Producer Ryan Kroft added, “Unearthing this captivating story with Joachim Rønning and Ole Sanders’ brilliant direction, partnership with Imagine and the legendary soundtrack struck the perfect keys for Live Nation Studios.”

With Keys of Life, Rønning seems ready to swap digital worlds and pirates for something more soulful and take audiences on a cinematic journey that celebrates music and the instrument that helped shape it.