Highlights
- Kapadia takes over after Michael Apted's 2021 death.
- Watched series as child with family in East London.
- Final episode '70 Up' airs later in 2026.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker, best known for documentaries about Amy Winehouse, Ayrton Senna and Diego Maradona, takes over from Michael Apted who directed all but the first episode before his death in 2021.
The series launched in 1964 with '7 Up', capturing the lives of 10 boys and four girls in England, all aged seven at the time.
Cameras revisited the group every seven years to chart their journey through careers, marriage, divorce, parenting and bereavement.
"In 2014 I named the 'Up' series as my favourite documentary of all time. Who knew that two decades later I would have the incredible honour and privilege to be asked to direct '70 Up', the legendary documentary series," Kapadia told Variety.
"I love the show! I have watched it all my life, first as a child with my parents and siblings, growing up in East London and then as an adult" he added.
Nine episodes have been made so far. The final two-part instalment, '70 Up', will catch up with participants as pensioners and retirees as they "reflect on their triumphs, their trials and tribulations, and what happened to their hopes and dreams."
Kapadia revealed he met Apted on several occasions, first when interviewed about 'Senna'.
"He liked the fact I directed drama and documentaries, like him," he told The Guardian. "Directing '70 Up' has been a dream project for me, the ultimate portrait of human life."
Legacy and tribute
Working with editors Andrew Hulme and Patrick Saxer, Kapadia faced the challenge of cutting hours of archive material shot over decades.
"We also looked at the nature of documentary filmmaking itself. I hope the audience feel my team and I have done the epic series justice with the closing chapter," he said.
The series was initially intended as a one-off snapshot of the British class system, examining how it shaped people's lives.
For the original 40-minute film in 1964, Apted served as a researcher responsible for finding British children from across the class spectrum.
Fourteen seven-year-olds were picked, including Neil Hughes from Liverpool who declared he wanted to be an astronaut.
As it became a recurring series, viewers watched Hughes's life move between depression, homelessness and destitution before he became a lay preacher and Liberal Democrat councillor. His journey is considered one of the most unpredictable in the series.
Only seven of the original 14 subjects have appeared in every film to date. Two participants have died: Lynn Johnson in 2013 and Nick Hitchon, the son of a Yorkshire farmer who became a scientist, in 2023.
Jo Clinton-Davis, ITV's controller of factual, called the series a landmark piece of filmmaking "that has become part of our cultural fabric". She noted that the final instalment was a tribute to Apted.
The final instalment, “70 Up,” shows retirees reflecting on their lives and dreams Getty Images
"In Asif Kapadia we have an outstanding director who will bring his passion, creativity and incredible flair whilst safeguarding the very precious Up legacy."
In 2024, 'Up' topped a list of the most influential shows from the last five decades compiled by the Broadcasting Press Guild.
When asked in 2012 how long it would run, Apted told The Guardian : "As long as I'm above ground, I'll carry on. Maybe if I wasn't above ground, someone else would take it over." His prediction has come true.
The series will be produced by MultiStory Media, part of ITV Studios, in association with Lafcadia Productions.
Claire Lewis, who has been custodian and producer of the participants' stories since '28 Up', continues in her role alongside Kapadia and producer George Chignell. '70 Up' is due to air later in 2026.
