Even though he should really be prioritizing the potentially excellent (and Keanu-confirmed) third Bill and Ted movie, Alex Winter apparently does not spend all of his time hanging out in phone booths and water parks, and has in recent years begun to develop a career as a documentary filmmaker. Following 2013’s download-generation think piece Downloaded and this year’s Silk Road investigation Deep Web, next up for the Wyld Stallyns member is a bit of a curveball: a documentary on the legendary Frank Zappa.
Most bodaciously, the film is being made with the blessing of the Zappa Family Trust, and, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter, this means that the director will have “exclusive access to the Zappa Vault, a collection of unseen visual and audio recordings, in addition to previously released video clips, interviews, and concert recordings.” In statements, both Gail Zappa, Frank’s widow, and Ahmet Zappa, Frank’s son, have expressed pure support for Winter, with the latter noting that, “This is not an easy story to tell and we trust that Alex truly understands the complex and multifaceted man that my father was.”
Quick quiz though, Winter: If you really are a true Zappa fan, what year did Hot Rats come out? (Answer below.)
The as-yet untitled Frank Zappa documentary is scheduled for a 2017 release.
(via The A.V. Club)
