The no-holds-barred exploration of the life of legendary British punk-turned-rock icon Billy Idol (Generation X), is now available through streaming platforms and on Sky Arts in the UK from the 26th March. Fresh from festival premieres at Tribeca and Sheffield DocFest, Billy Idol Should Be Dead is a deeply personal, unyielding look at one of Britain’s most successful and rebel-rousing artists, recently named as a nominee for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Directed by Jonas Åkerlund, the film blends never-before-seen archival material with revealing interviews from Idol, his family, bandmates and artists including Miley Cyrus, Steve Jones and Paul Cook (Sex Pistols), Nile Rodgers and Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day).
Chronicling his anarchic beginnings in the London punk scene in Generation X, to superstardom in the MTV era, when White Wedding and Rebel Yell ruled the music charts, the film reveals what Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain a vital figure in rock ‘n’ roll almost fifty years into his career. With intimate access to Idol’s family and inner circle, including his late mother Joan, longtime girlfriend Perri Lister and all three of his children, remarkably the film also reveals how a DNA test led Idol to discover his long-lost son Brant. Exploring Idol’s cultural impact and near-fatal exploits alike with unflinching candour, Swedish filmmaker Jonas Åkerlund paints a portrait of determination, self-destruction, and redemption; a must-see celebration of resilience and rock ‘n’ roll. The film will make its London theatrical debut at a ticketed fan event on the 3rd March at London’s Picturehouse Central, followed by a conversation with Billy Idol, Tony James (Generation X) and John Taylor (Duran Duran).
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