Led Zeppelin will soon be coming to a theater near you as Sony Pictures Classics announced Wednesday (May 15) that it has acquired the rights to the documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin for North America, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia (excluding Japan).
The first officially sanctioned documentary on the group is told in the band's own words in the film directed by Bernard MacMahon, and written by him and Allison McGourty. It will explore the band's origin with never-before-seen footage, performances, and music.
The docu-concert film has been in the works for some time. It was screened at the 2021 Venice Film Festival where it received a 10-minute standing ovation. Since then, the film features a new sound mix and new archival material for all four band members, including family photos and home movies, as well as interviews with Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones as well as previously unreleased interviews with the late John Bonham.
"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," Page said in a statement.
"We have spent years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound," added MacMahon.
"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," Sony Pictures Classics said in a statement. "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 Song Remains the Same, Zeppelin's previous concert film, came out in 1976. Although it featured some brilliant footage of the band performing three nights at New York's Madison Square Garden, it was slammed by critics for the inclusion of bizarre fantasy sequences that were intercut with the live performances. Even the band's members dismissed it, with Plant saying it was "a load of bollocks."
