TV/Film

The long-awaited first authorized documentary about Led Zeppelin, Becoming Led Zeppelin, has been acquired by Sony Pictures Classics, which will distribute the Bernard MacMahon-directed film in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Southeast Asia (except Japan) and Benelux.

According to Deadline, the hybrid documentary-concert film features never-before-seen footage, performances and music and is described as an “experiential cinematic odyssey exploring Led Zeppelin’s creative, musical and personal origin story,” told in their own words in the first officially sanctioned movie about the band.

The hype train for Becoming began in 2021 when a work-in-progress version was screened at the Venice Film Festival, receiving a 10-minute standing ovation. The film follows the band’s four members — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones and late drummer John Bonham — as they rise up through the British music scene in the 1960s playing in small clubs. It follows them to a fateful rehearsal in 1968 that changed the course of their careers and culminates in their first tour of America in 1970 as they ascended to rock superstardom.

According to Deadline, the film features a new sound mix, previously unseen materials from the archives of all four members, including home movies and family photos, as well as exclusive interviews with Page, Plant and Jones, and never-before-heard interviews with Bonham.

The movie was written by MacMahon (American Epic) and Allison McGourty, with the director saying that the team spent “years designing this film to be experienced on the big screen with the best possible sound.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Sony Pictures Classics added, “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.” The rep went on to note that the film “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.”

At press time no release date had been announced for the film, but you can watch a teaser prepared for the Venice debut below.