A new feature-length documentary centered on Billy Idol is heading to theaters in the U.S. this February. Titled Billy Idol Should Be Dead, the film was directed by three-time Grammy winner Jonas Åkerlund and produced by Live Nation Studios, with a nationwide theatrical release set for February 26.
Before it opens wide, the documentary will premiere in Los Angeles at the TCL Chinese Theatre on February 23, followed by a New York debut at the Regal Union Square on February 25. Both events will include an acoustic performance from Billy Idol and his longtime guitarist and collaborator Steve Stevens.
The film follows Idol’s path from punk beginnings into full-scale rock stardom, showing the personal cost behind decades in the spotlight. It also focuses on what it took for him to stay standing through everything that came with that life.
Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain one of the most beloved figures in rock n roll, almost fifty years into his career and still selling out arenas around the world.
Billy Idol Should Be Dead traces his story through rare archival footage and new interviews with Idol himself, along with family members, peers, and collaborators. It looks back on his emergence as a defining punk figure, his massive success during the MTV era, and the challenges that followed as his career kept moving forward.
The documentary first screened last summer at the Tribeca Film Festival, then went on to an award-qualifying run. Evan Saxon Productions is handling theatrical distribution in North America, while Fremantle is responsible for release outside the U.S.
The film also features a new original song, “Dying To Live,” written with Academy Award-nominated songwriter J. Ralph. The track has already drawn major attention, recently landing on the shortlist for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards.
The closing sequence of the documentary is built around “Dying To Live,” combining animated and archival visuals from across Idol’s life and career. The song was written by Idol and Ralph alongside Steve Stevens, Tommy English, and Joe Janiak. It has also been nominated for Best Song–Documentary Film at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards, which also recognized Billy Idol Should Be Dead with a nomination for Best Music Documentary–Special Program.
With its theatrical run beginning February 26, the documentary offers a direct look at how Billy Idol made it through decades of highs, crashes, and reinvention while staying a lasting force in rock.
