A new documentary about Led Zeppelin will be coming to theaters soon. Becoming Led Zeppelin has been picked up for theatrical release by Sony Classics Pictures, according to a statement by the company.
The movie has been gestating for some time now. The film was announced in 2019 and completed in 2021 with approval and participation by the band – not as easy as it may seem because Led Zeppelin has a long history of being tight with its music and image.
Becoming Led Zeppelin premiered in a rough cut at the Venice Film Festival in September 2021. But since then the film had slipped out of view, with no word whether or not anyone outside of that select festival group would ever see the movie.
A teaser clip was even released (which you can watch below).
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Since its 2021 screening, new footage has been added to the movie
An announcement from Sony Classics notes that the “now completed” cut of the film includes “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,” Becoming Led Zeppelin director Bernard McMahon said in a statement. Producer and co-writer Allison McGourty said, “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.”
When Will the Led Zeppelin Documentary Be Released?
The announcement, however, included no word on when the film will get its theatrical showing, but the “now completed” statement indicates a release may be imminent.
In March, the fan site LedZepNews noted that recently uncovered footage of the band performing at the Bath Festival on June 28, 1970, was reportedly acquired for use in Becoming Led Zeppelin.
The new Sony Classics announcement refers to the movie as a “hybrid docu-concert film” including live scenes from 1969 concerts at the Fillmore West, the Atlanta Pop Festival and the Texas Pop Festival, as well as interviews with band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, plus archival clips featuring the late John Bonham.
The movie focuses on the band members’ early years leading up to Led Zeppelin’s formation and their rise through 1969’s Led Zeppelin II.
