In 1968, the band Led Zeppelin seemingly came from out of nowhere, branching out from the Yardbirds with a new line-up that was in the middle of their first North American tour when their first album, simply titled “Led Zeppelin.” Over the next few years, the band would tour constantly, quickly becoming one of the most popular and prolific rock band of the ‘70s.
There’s a lot about the years leading up to the formation of Led Zeppelin that has not been that well documented up until now, so the documentary Becoming Led Zeppelin, directed by Bernard MacMahon and written and produced along with Allison McGourty, is a welcome addition. Besides new interviews with the three surviving members of the group – Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and John Paul Jones – the filmmakers also uncovered a rare interview with drummer John “Bonzo” Bonham before his untimely death in 1980. The film also features some of the most impressive archival footage of the band playing live, showing that the greatness of the quartet was evident from the first time they played together.
Earlier this week, Cinema Daily US spoke with MacMahon and McGourty over Zoom for the interview you can watch above. Becoming Led Zeppelin has been playing solely in U.S. IMAX theaters but will expand nationwide on Friday, February 14.
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Director: Bernard MacMahon
Screenwriter: Bernard MacMahon, Allison McGourty
Cast: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones
Producer: Bernard MacMahon, Allison McGourty, Ged Doherty, Duke Erikson
Production Co: Big Beach, Paradise Pictures
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Rating: PG-13 (Some Drug References|Smoking)
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb. 7, 2025 (IMAX), Feb. 14, 2025 (nationwide)
Runtime: 2 hours, 1 minute
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You can watch the trailer below: