Music Box Films announced Tuesday the acquisition of “We Are Twisted F—ing Sister,” the rock documentary by filmmaker Andrew Horn that recounts the band’s earliest days, before they would become one of the biggest heavy metal bands of the 1980s.
When Twisted Sister got their big break in 1983, its aggressive sound helped sell millions of records. Meanwhile, the band’s over-the-top live shows drew sellout crowds and its music videos defined early MTV.
But “the band that killed disco” was no overnight success. The documentary is the never-before-told story of the 10 grueling years leading up to the band’s breakout success, recounted directly by its members, managers and biggest fans.
Twisted Sister recently announced it will embark on a 40th anniversary farewell tour in 2016, fittingly titled “Forty and F— It,” following the unexpected death of longtime drummer A.J. Pero. The new documentary premiered at IDFA in Amsterdam and screened at Goteborg Film Festival earlier this year.
“Andrew Horn has delivered a quintessential rock documentary,” said Music Box Films’ managing partner Ed Arentz. “It’s a film that obviously speaks to Twisted’s legion of fans, but will allow a whole new audience to experience the ’70s NYC suburban rock club scene in all its sweaty, grimy, glittery glory, and what it took to become its undisputed masters.”
Music Box Films previously released “Ida,” the 2015 Foreign Language Film Oscar winner. Having acquired all North American rights, the company is planning an August release for the documentary.
The deal was negotiated directly with the filmmaker by Music Box Films’ president William Schopf.