FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SONY PICTURES CLASSICS ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO FIRST OFFICIAL LED ZEPPELIN DOCUMENTARY ‘BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN’ DIRECTED BY BERNARD MACMAHON
NEW YORK (May 15, 2024) – Sony Pictures Classics announced today that they have acquired all rights in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia (excluding Japan), and Benelux to the documentary BECOMING LED ZEPPELIN.
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 film on the group.
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.
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.
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.
Jimmy 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."
Bernard MacMahon said, “We have spent years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound.” 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.”
Sony Pictures Classics 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 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.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Michael Barker and Tom Bernard serve as co-presidents of Sony Pictures Classics—an autonomous division of Sony Pictures Entertainment they founded with Marcie Bloom in January 1992—which distributes, produces, and acquires independent films from around the world. Barker and Bernard have released prestigious films that have won 41 Academy Awards® (37 of those at Sony Pictures Classics) and have garnered 187 Academy Award® nominations (161 at Sony Pictures Classics) including Best Picture nominations for THE FATHER, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, WHIPLASH, AMOUR, MIDNIGHT IN PARIS, AN EDUCATION, CAPOTE, HOWARDS END, and CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON.
ABOUT SONY PICTURES ENTERTAINMENT
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production, acquisition, and distribution; television production, acquisition, and distribution; television networks; digital content creation and distribution; operation of studio facilities; and development of new entertainment products, services.
