The wait is over, at least for Led Zeppelin fans who live in a town that has an IMAX theater. That's because their documentary, Becoming Led Zeppelin, will open on IMAX screens in close to 200 theaters on February 7th.
The film tells the story of how the band came together, but, according to Allison McGourty, the film's writer and producer, it wasn't easy to make due to the lack of footage from those early days.
“We spent five years flying back and forth across the Atlantic scouring attics and basements in pursuit of rare and unseen film footage, photographs and music recordings. Then we transferred each piece of media with custom techniques, so that in IMAX, these 55-year-old clips and music would look and sound like they came out of the lab yesterday.”
Becoming Led Zeppelin, which premiered in 2021 in Italy at the Venice Film Festival and in Colorado at the Telluride Film Festival, before producers added more material, takes us up to their second album, Led Zeppelin 2. Included in the film is:
- Unreleased footage of them performing at the Atlanta Pop Festival on July 5th, 1969
- Home footage from 1968 of John Bonham and his family
- "A never-before-heard interview with John Bonham,” which according to LedZepNews.com is "misleading," as "the interview heard throughout the film and included in the trailer is a 1972 Australian radio interview with Robert Plant and Bonham that has been widely available for years, including online and through vinyl bootlegs." And, in one section he's actually talking about The Beatles at Shea Stadium, but producers will make you think he's referring to Zeppelin.
Ahead of its premiere on February 7th, IMAX Theatres in 18 markets will be holding one night only early access screenings on February 5th. Tickets are on sale for both dates now at Imax.com/LedZeppelin.