zeplz71 Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 (edited) The chance for the public to see the long-awaited documentary “Becoming Led Zeppelin” is finally becoming a reality for fans of the classic rock band. The film has been acquired for release by Sony Classics Pictures, and will get a big-screen theatrical rollout, the company announced Wednesday. The rights picked up by Sony Classics are for North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia (except for Japan), the Middle East and Benelux. Negotiations for the deal took place between Sony Classics, director Bernard MacMahon and Altitude Film Sales. No time frame was given for the film’s release, but Zeppelin fans have waited for years, so a possible matter of months may come as good news at this point. A rough version of the film premiered at and was reviewed out of the Venice Film Festival in September 2021, before it seemed to slip into limbo, as far as the general public knew. The film has been augmented with additional footage since the “work in progress” version screened in Venice. The announcement from Sony Classics says the “now completed” cut features “a brand-new sound mix (and) newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members.” “We have spent years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound,” McMahon said in a statement, alluding to the wait. Added producer/co-writer Allison McGourty, “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.” https://variety.com/2024/film/news/becoming-led-zeppelin-documentary-sony-classics-pictures-acquired-1236003461/ Edited May 15 by zeplz71 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeplz71 Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ Doc Will Rock On at Sony Pictures Classics Umberto Gonzalez | Wed, May 15, 2024 Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia (excluding Japan) and Benelux to the documentary “Becoming Led Zeppelin,” the company announced on Wednesday. Powered by awe-inspiring, psychedelic, never-before-seen footage, performances and music, 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 project charting their legendary legacy. The documentary 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, rerecording mix is by Nick Bergh and sound restoration is by Grammy Award winner Peter Henderson. 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. In his review of the documentary, The Wrap’s Steve Pond wrote: “It offers glimpses of the band we’ve never seen before, but it also withholds a lot. And it’s entirely true to the spirit of the band, which was known for marathon concerts and never made an album without at least one song longer than six minutes. In other words, it’s potent as hell and as excessive as ‘Physical Graffiti,’ the 1975 album whose excess was pretty much inseparable from its power.” 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. “When I saw the early cut of the film premiered, at the Venice Film Festival, it was amazing,” Page said in a statement. “The energy of the story, and the power of the music, is phenomenal.” MacMahon added: “We have spent years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound.” “We loved this film from the first moment we saw it,” Sony Pictures Classics said. “It has been nothing short of extraordinary to witness the organic process Bernard, Allison and their team have taken to sculpt what has turned out to be the definitive film on the origins of Led Zeppelin. We are honored to be working with such committed artists who have crafted a film that immediately transports you right into the energy and excitement of that time. It seamlessly weaves astonishing performances, archival footage and interviews through superb editing and impeccable sound design. This film is a grand theatrical experience and we are very proud to be bringing it to the world.” The deal was negotiated between Sony Pictures Classics, MacMahon and Altitude Film Sales. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/becoming-led-zeppelin-doc-rock-133000887.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeplz71 Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 ‘Becoming Led Zeppelin’ to Sony Pictures Classics for North America and other markets By John Hazelton15 May 2024 Sony Pictures Classics (SPC) has acquired all rights for North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Benelux and Southeast Asia excluding Japan to documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin. Directed by Bernard MacMahon and written by MacMahon and producer Allison McGourty, the film explores the origin and rise of seventies rock giant Led Zeppelin. Paradise Pictures produced in association with Big Beach, and Michael Clark, Alex Turtletaub, Duke Erikson, Cynthia Heusing, David Kistenbroker, Simon Moran and Ged Doherty served as executive producers. According to SPC, Becoming Led Zeppelin is the first officially sanctioned film on the group (though the band’s 1973 concert run at Madison Square Garden was the basis for 1976 theatrical release The Song Remains The Same) and has been given a new sound mix since its work-in-progress screening at the 2021 Venice film festival. Also added is newly unearthed material from the archives of surviving Zeppelin members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones as well as interviews with the late John Bonham and footage of the group playing in 1969 at the Fillmore West and the Atlanta and Texas pop festivals. MacMahon commented: “We have spent years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound. 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.” Page said: “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.” A statement from SPC said: “We loved this film from the first moment we saw it. It has been nothing short of extraordinary to witness the organic process Bernard, Allison, and their team have taken to sculpt what has turned out to be the definitive film on the origins of Led Zeppelin. We are honoured to be working with such committed artists who have crafted a film that immediately transports you right into the energy and excitement of that time. It seamlessly weaves astonishing performances, archival footage and interviews through superb editing and impeccable sound design. This film is a grand theatrical experience and we are very proud to be bringing it to the world.” https://www.screendaily.com/news/becoming-led-zeppelin-to-sony-pictures-classics-for-north-america-and-other-markets/5193459.article Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeplz71 Posted May 15 Author Share Posted May 15 Official LED ZEPPELIN Documentary 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' Acquired For Theatrical Release By SONY CLASSICS May 15, 2024 According to Variety, the official LED ZEPPELIN documentary "Becoming Led Zeppelin" has been acquired for release by Sony Classics Pictures for North America, Latin America, Southeast Asia (except for Japan),the Middle East and Benelux. A "work in progress" version of "Becoming Led Zeppelin" screened at the Venice International Film Festival in Italy in September 2021, and the "now completed" cut features "a brand-new sound mix (and) newly unearthed material from the archives of all four band members," according to the Sony Classics announcement. "We have spent years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound," director Bernard MacMahon said in a statement. Producer/co-writer 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." No time frame was given for the film's release. The first clip from "Becoming Led Zeppelin", as well as a short interview with LED ZEPPELIN guitarist Jimmy Page about the documentary (conducted by FRED [Film Radio Entertainment & Dialogue]),can be seen below. Speaking about his original goal for LED ZEPPELIN, Page said: "I was looking for a band with four… I didn't want to have a band with just the guitarist and the other guys are bit players. There was a lot of bands like that. I wanted each and every musician in it to be equally as strong. So then when they came together, they would feel the contribution by the others and up their game; everybody is upping their game. I believe that the first album, the musicians — Robert Plant, John Bonham… Certainly John Bonham, but Robert Plant, myself and John Paul Jones had never played at that level of intensity as to the quality of how good they could play. But it all joins together into something really special. And that never stops." MacMahon said in a press release: "With 'Becoming Led Zeppelin' my goal was to make a documentary that looks and feels like a musical. I wanted to weave together the four diverse stories of the band members before and after they formed their group with large sections of their story advanced using only music and imagery and to contextualize the music with the locations where it was created and the world events that inspired it. I used only original prints and negatives, with over 70,000 frames of footage manually restored, and devised fantasia sequences, inspired by 'Singin' In The Rain', layering unseen performance footage with montages of posters, tickets and travel to create a visual sense of the freneticism of their early career." "Becoming Led Zeppelin" features new interviews with Page, Plant and Jones, as well as rare archival interviews with the late drummer John Bonham. It marks the first time members of LED ZEPPELIN have participated in a documentary about the group. MacMahon previously directed the Emmy-nominated music documentary series "American Epic" about the early American roots music recordings of the 1920s. Page praised the film back in 2019, saying: "When I saw everything Bernard had done both visually and sonically on the remarkable achievement that is 'American Epic', I knew he would be qualified to tell our story." Plant added: "Seeing Will Shade and so many other important early American musicians brought to life on the big screen in 'American Epic' inspired me to contribute to a very interesting and exciting story." Jones stated: "The time was right for us to tell our own story for the first time in our own words, and I think that this film will really bring this story to life." An official LED ZEPPELIN book, "Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin", came out in October 2018. https://blabbermouth.net/news/official-led-zeppelin-documentary-becoming-led-zeppelin-acquired-for-theatrical-release-by-sony-classics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillumpuffer Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 Typical really. No UK release then? Why change the habit of a lifetime eh? Not only did the band hardly ever play in the UK, what was it, 7 gigs in 6 years, Sony and presumably Page, haven't been bothered to include the UK and Europe for a release. Next time I'm in Thailand I'll look out for it. new sound mix since its work-in-progress screening at the 2021 Venice film festival. Got to have a laugh at that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reids Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 Finally R😎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightsofNi Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 i will believe it when I see it. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badgeholder Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 (edited) footage from the Fillmore West? That sounds intriguing Edited May 15 by badgeholder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lubo Posted May 15 Share Posted May 15 I wonder if it is going to better footage that has been on YouTube for Texas, Atlanta Pop and Bath Festival. And Fillmore does sound intriguing. It seemed when it first premiered way back, people were saying there was not much never seen before footage. Hopefully that has changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chillumpuffer Posted May 16 Share Posted May 16 It's always been known that Bill Graham filmed the band at The Fillmore. Maybe Page scored a few reels of it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted May 16 Share Posted May 16 Fingers crossed for this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rm2551 Posted May 17 Share Posted May 17 Can't wait. I hope it'll get a theatre release in Australia. That would be such a great experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plant77 Posted May 17 Share Posted May 17 On 5/15/2024 at 10:26 AM, KnightsofNi said: i will believe it when I see it. 🙂 I feel you on that, however, it is Zeppelin and for them this could be considered fast really. They also have always like to build anticipation as well so really they are just letting it simmer until it reaches a boiling point. But yeah, I want to see it badly as well, perhaps this is nearing the boiling point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zep Hed Posted May 17 Share Posted May 17 Imagine there was an internet circa 1973-76. Where's the movie?! 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock Historian Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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