Everything we know about Childish Gambino’s ‘Bando Stone & the New World’

Actor-director Donald Glover, also known as music artist Childish Gambino, has added yet another pseudonym to his profile: fictional singer Bando Stone. Announced in a new film trailer at the BET Awards ceremony on June 30, Bando Stone & The New World will be accompanied by an exclusive motion picture soundtrack from Gambino, with lead single ‘Lithonia’ now released.

With Gambino on the soundtrack, Glover portraying Bando Stone, and all three having their own separate Instagram profiles, the proverbial Donald-gloves seem to be off with this release. The film appears to be set in an abandoned Jurassic Island-style location, featuring giant dinosaurs, bipedal-velociraptors and even some lasers for good measure. Also appearing in the trailer are British Thriller (2018) star Jessica Allain, and Glover’s eldest son Legend.

Known for breaking the fourth wall in his already rich cinematic universe spanning six albums and four seasons of the award-winning TV series Atlanta, commenters online have begun speculating on how this latest release fits into the mix. Some have pointed out similarities between Bando Stone’s setting and styling with 2015 Gambino single ‘Telegraph Ave’.

Meanwhile, others have already begun decrypting the mysterious map that the Bando Stone Instagram account posted in the run up to the trailer drop, linking it to Manhattan’s Little Island, New York. The DonG fanbase’s most tin-foil contingent, however, have questioned the existence of the film altogether, pointing to a lack of IMDB listing for Bando Stone & The New World, the fact that screenwriter Evi Wilder has no previous film credits, and the apparent silence from co-stars regarding the release.

We also got our first taste of the upcoming album, with ‘Lithonia’ recently hitting streamers, and a listening party taking place in New York. With ‘Lithonia’, fans recognise that Childish Gambino seems to be moving towards the alt-rock direction. Clips from the listening event show that the album will be an eclectic mix of soul, electronic, funk and hip-hop undertones. The last album before Bando Stone was Childish Gambino’s 3.15.20 in 2020.

Regardless, with new music and an international tour upcoming, Glover, Gambino and Stone all clearly have a wild ride in store.