Ron Howard’s Richard Avedon documentary to premiere on Netflix
A new documentary exploring the life and work of influential American photographer Richard Avedon will arrive on Netflix on November 11, offering a fresh look at one of the most significant image-makers of the 20th century.
Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ron Howard, Avedon premiered at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and draws on extensive access to the photographer's personal archives, including previously unseen photographs, behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with his closest collaborators.
Over a career spanning more than five decades, Avedon photographed an extraordinary range of subjects, from Hollywood stars and political leaders to coal miners and people living on the margins of society. His distinctive approach to fashion and portrait photography helped shape America's visual identity, challenging conventional ideas of beauty, style and representation.
The documentary examines how Avedon used photography to reshape the way people saw the world around them, exploring both the images that established his reputation and the creative process behind them.
According to the filmmakers, the film aims to look beyond Avedon's most celebrated photographs to explore the curiosity, humanity and artistic vision that informed his work.
“I’ve always been drawn to stories that help us better understand remarkable people,” Howard said.
“Richard Avedon was an artist whose work continues to resonate not only because of the extraordinary images he created, but because of the humanity and curiosity behind them.”
Howard added that the film provided an opportunity to explore Avedon's legacy through an extensive archive and the perspectives of people who knew him best.
Avedon is produced by Imagine Documentaries and Fifth Season, in association with the Richard Avedon Foundation. Producers include Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Dallas Brennan Rexer, Sara Bernstein, Christopher St. John and Justin Wilkes.
Avedon died in 2004, aged 81, leaving behind a body of work that continues to influence fashion, portraiture and contemporary photography.
Avedon will be available to stream on Netflix from November 11.
Watch the trailer: Avedon on Netflix