Tom Petty’s ‘Heartbreakers Beach Party’ Documentary Streams March 11

LOS ANGELES, CA — The early-’80s documentary “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party” will premiere exclusively on Paramount+ on March 11 in the U.S. and Canada, following its limited theatrical release last October, the service announced Tuesday.

Directed by Cameron Crowe, the film will become available a day later, on March 12, in the U.K., Australia, Latin America, France, Italy, and Germany. It marks the first widespread release of the film since its initial airing on MTV in February 1983, capturing an era-defining moment in rock music history.

Originally filmed during the production of Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers’ album “Long After Dark,” the documentary has been fully restored from its 16mm source and includes nearly 20 minutes of never-before-seen bonus content. This footage features outtakes and a newly filmed interview with Adria Petty, Tom Petty’s daughter.

“’Heartbreakers Beach Party’ occupies a special place in my heart,” Crowe said in a statement regarding the streaming release. “Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers leaned into the making of the film with a kind of hilarious music-filled honesty that still feels fresh forty years later.”

During its brief theatrical run, Crowe and Adria Petty discussed the significance of the film’s re-release after over four decades. Crowe reflected on considering it his first directorial effort, noting, “I had only done print journalism… I was really nervous… But then I started to really have fun doing it.”

Many fans have long regarded the documentary as a hidden gem, as it was largely overshadowed by its initial release, airing only once on MTV at the time. “The fact that the original film was yanked from MTV after only one airing shows that it was, and still is, an outlandish feast for fans in the best ways,” Crowe said.

Adria Petty further expressed her thoughts on the film’s legacy, saying, “It’s very interesting to see my dad, with this very weird Cameron Crowe movie with the most misleading title ever, to market something as a beach party!”

Crowe noted Petty’s forward-thinking approach during the documentary’s production, recalling that he suggested to make it feel more like “a joint passed among friends” instead of a traditional narrative. This creative decision contributed to the film’s candid and observational style.

About the restoration process, a representative shared, “We have this great archivist who found a bunch of the raw film reels for ‘Heartbreakers Beach Party,’ which we didn’t realize we had in our possession.” This discovery led to the film’s restoration and the release of a deluxe edition of the “Long After Dark” album.

Fans eagerly await the streaming premiere of “Tom Petty: Heartbreakers Beach Party,” which promises to offer an intimate and lively glimpse into the legendary band’s creative process during a pivotal moment in rock history.