Directed by three-time Grammy-winner Jonas Åkerlund and produced by Live Nation Studios, the project traces the life and career of punk pioneer turned rock ‘n’ roll icon.
Through never-before-seen archival and personal interviews with Idol, his family, peers and collaborators, the documentary digs deep into his emergence as a prototypical punk rocker, his meteoric rise as a global superstar in the MTV era and the myriad of challenges Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain one of the most beloved figures in rock n roll, fifty years into his career.
The film features Idol’s original song with Academy Award-nominated songwriter J. Ralph, “Dying To Live,” which was recently shortlisted for Best Original Song at the 98th Academy Awards. The film’s coda sequence is built around “Dying To Live,” featuring imagery—both animated and archival—from throughout Idol’s life and storied career and was written by Idol and Ralph alongside longtime Idol collaborators Steve Stevens, Tommy English and Joe Janiak.
The song was recently nominated for Best Song-Documentary Film at the Hollywood Music In Media (HMMA) Awards, which also nominated “Billy Idol Should Be Dead” for Best Music Documentary-Special Program.
The film made its festival debut at the Tribeca Film Festival last summer, followed by an award qualifying run.
“Billy Idol Should Be Dead” just debuted in theatres nationwide following its premiere at Los Angeles's TLC Chinese Theatre on February 23 and at the Regal Union Square on February 25. Both the Los Angeles and New York premieres will be followed by an acoustic performance by Idol and longtime collaborator and guitarist Steve Stevens.
Idol was recently announced among the nominees under consideration for induction into the 2026 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
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