The trailer for Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss, the forthcoming documentary which will examine the late rap star’s rise to fame and struggles with substance abuse and mental health, has been unveiled by HBO Max. Directed by Tommy Oliver, the film will premiere on Dec. 16 on HBO Max and is the sixth installment of HBO’s Music Box documentary series, which includes previous profiles on late rap icon DMX, songstress Alanis Morissette, Woodstock ’99, and more.
Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss will include appearances from rapper Lil Bibby, who helped discover Juice WRLD and signed him to a record deal, director Cole Bennett, and other close friends and associates. Featuring clips from live performances and behind-the-scenes footage, the trailer also includes commentary from Juice WRLD himself, who touched on his adjustment to fame and his exposure to the inner workings of the music industry. “When you’re a fan of this sh*t, you look at it from a certain perspective,” he admitted. “But when you in it, you see it for what it really is. I’m still happy I can change the world. But, it’s not what it looked like.”
The “Lucid Dreams” creator also spoke on the stigmas surrounding mental health and his desire to use his platform and influence to change the narrative. “If you’ve got anxiety [or] depression, they all look at you like you’re crazy. That’s not how it should be [but] that’s how it is, and that needs to change. And hopefully, I’m one of those people that could bring that change.”
Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss will premiere one week after the release of Fighting Demons, the rapper’s second posthumous album, which is led by his new single, “Wandered To LA” featuring Justin Bieber. His first posthumous effort, Legends Never Die, was released in 2020, debuting atop the Billboard 200 chart and accounting for the biggest first-week sales numbers for a posthumous album in history.
The documentary comes just two years after Juice WRLD passed away at Chicago’s Midway International Airport as a result of a seizure caused by an accidental drug overdose in December 2019, just one day after the rapper’s 21st birthday.
To commemorate what would’ve been Juice WRLD’s 23rd birthday, his mother, Carmela Wallace, shared a written tribute to her late son this past Thursday, which you can read below. Watch the trailer for Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss above.
Juice WRLD’s mom, Carmela Wallace, wrote a letter to him today, which is what would’ve been his 23rd birthday ? pic.twitter.com/ZKUU6VxoG7
— Travis (@TravisWorlddd) December 2, 2021