Becoming Led Zeppelin: Sony Pictures Classics has acquired official Led Zeppelin documentary

Last Updated on May 24, 2024

Sony Pictures Classics has announced in a press release that the company has acquired the distribution for an official documentary of the iconic 70s rock band Led Zeppelin. The documentary, titled Becoming Led Zeppelin, will finally see its release after sitting on the shelf since 2021. The film is powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music. The director, Bernard MacMahon’s experiential cinematic odyssey explores Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical, and personal origin story. The film is told in Led Zeppelin’s own words and is the first officially sanctioned film on the group.

The hybrid docu-concert film also unveils a huge amount of unseen Led Zeppelin performance footage, including The Fillmore West (January 1969), The Atlanta Pop Festival (July 1969), and The Texas Pop Festival (August 1969). The result is a visceral musical experience that will transport audiences into the concert halls of Led Zeppelin’s earliest tours, accompanied by intimate commentary from the famously private band.

Highly anticipated since its announcement and subsequent work-in-progress screening at the 2021 Venice Film Festival, where it received a 10-minute standing ovation, the now completed film features a brand-new sound mix, newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members (including home movies and family photos), and exclusive interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones, as well as never-before-heard interviews with the late John Bonham.

Jimmy Page shared his sentiments, saying, “When I saw the early cut of the film premiered, at the Venice Film Festival, it was amazing. The energy of the story, and the power of the music, is phenomenal.” MacMahon commented, “We have spent years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound.” Producer Allison McGourty added, “Sony Pictures Classics are the perfect partners because they are true believers in the theatrical experience and are passionate about giving the millions of Led Zeppelin fans a chance to see and hear them on the greatest screens and sound systems in the world.”

Becoming Led Zeppelin is directed by the award-winning, Emmy and BAFTA nominated Bernard MacMahon (American Epic), and written by MacMahon and BAFTA nominated producer Allison McGourty. It is produced by Paradise Pictures in association with Big Beach alongside executive producers Michael Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Duke Erikson, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Simon Moran, and Ged Doherty. Editing is by Dan Gitlin, re-recording mix is by Nick Bergh, and sound restoration is by Grammy Award winner Peter Henderson.