Paramount+ today announced TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY will premiere exclusively on the service on Tuesday, March 11 in the U.S. and Canada and on Wednesday, March 12 in the UK, Australia, Latin America, France, Italy, and Germany, marking the first time the fully restored version of the classic ’80s documentary from legendary and Academy Award®-winning director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) will be widely available to a global audience. Paramount+. Thousands of episodes, live TV & exclusive originals–all in one place. Get Started!
TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY is a fun, candid, fast-paced, and musically rich ride with America’s greatest rock & roll band, a time capsule of the dawn of the MTV era and a rare, shining glimpse into Tom Petty’s lasting creative genius. Featuring nearly 20 minutes of never-before-seen bonus content, including new commentary from Crowe himself, alongside in-depth interviews, electrifying live performances, and unprecedented intimate access to Petty and the band.
Originally airing only once on MTV in February 1983, the tapes from Crowe’s directorial debut, were finally found in 2024, nearly 40 years after it became folklore to fans, musicians, and the entertainment industry at-large. The highly anticipated film, restored from its original 16mm source, is an era-defining look at rock & roll that captures Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers as they finish, promote, and tour the groundbreaking Long After Dark album, the band’s third and final project with legendary producer Jimmy Iovine.
“Heartbreaker’s Beach Party occupies a special place in my heart,” said Crowe. “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. It was also my first experience as a director. Thanks to Adria Petty and the Petty estate, along with our co-filmmakers Danny Bramson, Phil Savenick, Doug Dowdle, and Greg Mariotti, we’re bringing it back in all its reckless glory. I’m especially happy to add a postscript with the never-seen outtake footage I always treasured. 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. Turn it up!!”
“A paean to the joy of good fortune, the swagger of youth and the majesty of rock and roll.” – The Telegraph
“The rock doc is an illuminating lark, catching Petty and his bandmates as they ride out the crest of their first big swell of success, with the group’s fifth album, Long After Dark, just about to come out.” – Variety
“Fans of the singer’s hits, fluffy mullets (and young Cameron Crowe) are well-served by unseen and remastered footage as this sweet look back ticks all the relevant rock doc boxes.” – The Guardian
TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY is executive produced by the Petty Legacy, LLC, Bruce Resnikoff, and Bruce Gillmer (MTV Entertainment Studios).
![]() |
Heartbreakers Beach Party |
Release: 2024-10-17Genre: DocumentaryDuration: 88 minsBudget: $ 0 | |
OverviewIn 2024, the long-thought lost 16mm reels of Tom Petty in Cameron Crowe’s first film, “Heartbreakers Beach Party”, were finally found. The classic ‘80s documentary captures Tom Petty and the band in 1982-1983 as they finish, promote, and tour around the “Long After Dark” album (their final with legendary producer Jimmy Iovine). After its initial airing on MTV in 1983, the film was deemed too experimental and abruptly pulled from the air. 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 Spinal Tap. |