There are stories that refuse to be told, legends too grand to be contained within the frame of a single film. Led Zeppelin – the iconic English rock band – has long been one of them.
For decades, the band existed in archival fragments: grainy footage, whispered myths, the sonic wreckage of a musical revolution. But now we are finally being given more: Becoming Led Zeppelin, the first fully authorised documentary on the band.
What is the film about?
The documentary is an attempt to bottle the lightning of the band. The film’s creators, Bernard MacMahon and Allison McGourty, didn’t just piece together a biography—they entered the labyrinth of Led Zeppelin’s own making.
For the film, MacMahon and McGourty unearthed lost tapes and unseen footage – Zeppelin’s voice, resurrected. John Bonham, the band’s explosive late drummer and heartbeat, narrates through old interviews, his words capturing the reckless, golden energy of their youth.
The film ends in 1970, as Zeppelin stands on the precipice of its most chaotic, triumphant years. It chooses not to linger on the excess, the tragedy, or the descent. Instead, Becoming Led Zeppelin is the moment before the myth became untouchable.
How did it come about?
After garnering the trust of the band's remaining members, guitarist Jimmy Page led the filmmakers to the banks of the Thames, where Zeppelin first found its roar in a quiet boathouse.
Next, they courted John Paul Jones, the band’s understated genius, who initially dismissed the idea of a documentary outright. But one screening of American Epic changed his mind. Finally, there was Plant, perhaps the hardest to convince. A musician who had spent the last few decades chasing new sounds, new adventures, new lives. But nostalgia has its own pull. Three meetings later, he was in.
When will it be released?
Becoming Led Zeppelin will be released in cinemas from 8 February 2025 in Australia.
