Over 40 years after bringing fans along for the ride in Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party, Cameron Crowe has unearthed long-lost footage of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
The result is the filmmaker’s remastered documentary, Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party, now streaming on Paramount+. It features never-before-seen 16mm footage shot during the rock-and-roll band’s Long After Dark era from 1982 to 1983. Per the logline, the music documentary “is a fun, candid, fast-paced, and musically rich ride with America’s greatest rock ‘n’ roll band, a time capsule of the dawn of the MTV era, and a rare and shining glimpse into Tom Petty’s lasting creative genius.”
At a Glance: How to Watch Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party Online
- Premiere date: March 11
- Run time: 1 hour, 33 minutes
- Stream online: Paramount+
The film originally aired in 1983 on MTV, but was “deemed too experimental and abruptly pulled from the air,” per the synopsis. “In the more than 40 years since, it has become folklore to fans, musicians, and within the entertainment industry – even credited with inspiring scenes in This Is Spinal Tap.”
Petty died a week after the Heartbreakers’ 40th anniversary tour on Oct. 2, 2017, from an “accidental drug overdose,” according to the legendary musician’s family. He formed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1976 with original members, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, bassist Ron Blair, drummer Stan Lynch and keyboardist Benmont Tench. The band’s hits spanned from 1976 to 1993 and beyond and included “American Girl,” “Breakdown,” “Refugee,” “The Waiting,” Learning to Fly” and “Mary Jane’s Last Dance,” among others.
Petty later became part of the ’80s supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys, alongside Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison. He released three solo albums and enjoyed a string of hits, including “Free Fallin’,” “I Won’t Back Down” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.”
The extended version of Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party was executive produced by Petty Legacy in association with MTV Entertainment Studios.
Keep reading below for more details on how to stream Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party online, including for free.
How to Watch Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party Online
Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party premieres on March 11 and streams exclusively on Paramount+.
A subscription is required to watch the remastered documentary, and new subscribers can stream Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party for free with a seven-day trial. Paramount+ is also available as an add-on channel on Prime Video, which also offers a one-week free trial.
Paramount+ starts at $7.99 per month for the ad-supported Essential plan that includes over 40,000 TV show episodes and movies, NFL games, UEFA Champion League matches, select Showtime series and streaming on three devices simultaneously.
The Paramount+ with Showtime tier is $12.99 monthly contains everything in the entry-level plan but has no ads (except on live TV) and includes livestreaming for local CBS channels, all Showtime content and content downloading.
All Paramount+ subscriptions include access to original series such as Lioness, Landman, 1923 and SEAL Team; CBS shows such as Survivor, Ghosts, NCIS and Tracker; film and TV franchises including Star Trek and Sonic the Hedgehog; and Nickelodeon content including SpongeBob SquarePants, Paw Patrol and others. However, only Paramount+ with Showtime includes access to Showtime originals including Yellowjackets, Billions, Dexter: New Blood and The Chi, and your local CBS network.
Source: Hollywoodreporter
