PHIL COLLEN On Upcoming Official DEF LEPPARD Documentary: The Stuff The Director Has 'Captured Is Mind-Blowing'

In a new interview with the Plus One: A Rock And Roll Podcast, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen spoke about "Long Live Def Leppard", the first-ever authorized feature-length doc about the legendary metal band. The film was directed by Jeff Feuerzeig, who previously made "The Devil And Daniel Johnston" and "Author: The JT LeRoy Story".

Collen said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Actually, we started it around the time of COVID, before COVID. It was in Vegas. We [were] doing a residency in 2019, and Jeff Feuerzeig, who's the director, was collecting all the stuff, and then we obviously had a break — everyone had a break with COVID — and he dove back in. But it's really great. I gotta say, the stuff he's captured is mind-blowing, and I love it."

After one of the interviewers noted that the DEF LEPPARD story could be turned into a 10-episode Netflix documentary, Collen concurred. "You could do [it]," he said. "I think, as with albums, you've gotta be really careful. I love vinyl and stuff like that, and playing albums, but even with double albums, you've gotta be careful. The listener, it's a lot. It's a lot. And especially with two-second attention spans. It used to be 15 minutes, then it was 15 seconds, and now it's two seconds. And you're, like, 'I'm bored. What's next? What's next?' So I think with movies, and I've got really weird with movies, actually. I've become that guy. I'm, like, 'What? I could edit that down. I'd change that bit. That's unnecessary.' I've become that dude. So I do it with music, and certainly with documentaries. It's that old thing when you're writing a song, it's, like, 'Don't bore us. Get to the chorus.' You've gotta do that. So I think with documentaries, you've gotta hold their attention. This one, and I'm not just saying this 'cause I'm in it, but Jeff Feuerzeig, bless him, he nailed it. It's, like, bang, bang, bang, bang. And there's parts that need to be a bit slower, but I'm loving what he's done and the editing and just everything is great. So I'm really thrilled about that."

Asked when "Long Live Def Leppard" will see the light of day, Phil said: "Oh, you probably know more than I do. So I have no idea. Everyone goes, 'Well, what about a new LEPPARD album?' It's, like, 'Yeah. Yeah, at some point.' As you know, with DEF LEPPARD, is that gonna be next year? Well, hopefully, but we've done this before. We kept saying that with 'Hysteria', and it was, like, three years after we said."

Bleecker Street's event cinema division Crosswalk, which acquired the North American rights to "Long Live Def Leppard", is reportedly looking at an early 2027 release in theaters.

Feuerzeig also produced the documentary alongside Alice Rhodes and Sam Bridger for VICE Studios, Nicholas Ferrall and Jeanne Elfant Festa of White Horse Pictures, Danny Gabai of The Searchers Documentary Films, and Brian T. Nugent of Sobey Road Entertainment.

With more than 110 million albums sold worldwide, two prestigious diamond awards in the U.S., and an induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, DEF LEPPARD continues to make a lasting impact in rock music, pushing boundaries with their electrifying live shows. Produced in close collaboration with the band, "Long Live Def Leppard" will take fans on a wild ride into the world of this iconic English rock band, with never-before-seen footage and unparalleled access to its members.

Born out of working-class Sheffield, DEF LEPPARD's story is one of an unbreakable brotherhood. After exploding on to the global rock scene with their hit albums "Pyromania" and "Hysteria", the band faced two devastating chapters: drummer Rick Allen's life-altering accident, which cost him his arm, and the loss of guitarist Steve Clark, whose anthemic and dynamic riffs earned him a permanent place among the guitar legends of all time. Those tragedies became defining moments in the band's history, as DEF LEPPARD rebuilt themselves and went on to become one of the most enduring forces in rock. Today, DEF LEPPARD continues to prove its staying power, selling out stadiums and arenas around the world and recently completing a sold-out residency at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

The film was executive produced by Nigel Sinclair and Cassidy Hartmann of White Horse Pictures, Stuart Goldstein and Rosie Taylor of VICE Studios, Andrew Trapani of Sobey Road Entertainment, Emmerson G. Farrell, David Sze, David B. Kirk, Bruce Resnikoff and Adam Barker of Universal Music Group, Natalia Nastaskin and Rob Dippold of Primary Wave Music, Todd Lieberman of Hidden Pictures, Brian Monaco of Sony Music Publishing, and Mike Kobayashi of CSM Management. Amy Rattray from VICE Studios serves as line producer. The deal was negotiated by Avy Eschenasy for Crosswalk and Kevin Iwashina of Audiovisuel on behalf of the filmmakers.

"In the summer of '81, after reading about DEF LEPPARD in Creem, I saw the not-yet-famous band open for Ozzy Osbourne on his first 'Blizzard Of Ozz' tour at Asbury Park's Convention Hall," said Jeff Feuerzeig, director, writer and producer. "These young lads from working-class Sheffield were punching far above their weight and playing for keeps. I was smitten, a fan for life. It has been an honor to collaborate with the guys and bring their unique, heartwarming, and often humorous underdog story to the screen. This is not your typical sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll tale. Long live DEF LEPPARD, indeed!"

"DEF LEPPARD is a once in a lifetime rock band, whose story and live performances demand to be seen and heard on the big screen," said Bleecker Street CEO Kent Sanderson. "Longtime fans and those just being introduced to the group are going to be blown away by this high energy, compelling, and ultimately moving look into this legendary band."

Feuerzeig is a director, writer, and producer whose feature "The Devil And Daniel Johnston" won the Documentary Directing Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and was distributed theatrically by Sony Pictures Classics. Additional directing credits include "Author: The JT LeRoy Story" for Amazon Films and "The Real Rocky" for ESPN's acclaimed "30 For 30" series. He also directed numerous commercials and branded content for Google, Nokia, Samsung and more brands than he cares to admit. As a screenwriter, his credits include "Chuck", a.k.a. "The Bleeder" (co-written with Jerry Stahl),starring Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts, as well as the "Johnny Paycheck" pilot and George Jones and Tammy Wynette episodes of "Mike Judge Presents: Tales From The Tour Bus", the animated nonfiction music series for Cinemax. He has also written for HBO, Amazon Films, IFC and Universal Studios. Feuerzeig is a frequent guest on "The Best Show" and numerous podcasts devoted to music, film, and nonfiction storytelling. Albert Maysles personally invited Jeff to join Maysles Films after a screening of "The Devil And Daniel Johnston". Indiewire named "The Devil And Daniel Johnston" "the best music documentary of the 21st century."