Billy Idol Should Be Dead

Idol Announces His Documentary

No-holds-barred feature documentary Billy Idol Should Be Dead coming to Sky Arts on 26 March A deeply personal, uncompromising portrait of the legendary punk rock icon

Sky Arts will bring audiences a no-holds-barred exploration of the life of legendary British punk turned rock icon Billy Idol from 26 March on Sky and streaming service NOW.

Fresh from festival premieres at Tribeca and Sheffield DocFest, Billy Idol Should Be Dead is a deeply personal, unyielding look at one of Britain’s most successful and rebel rousing artists, recently named as a nominee for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Commenting on the documentary, Billy Idol says: “I’m thrilled the documentary about my life, Billy Idol Should Be Dead, will be available on Sky Arts. I hope everyone enjoys watching the film as much as I enjoyed living it all! Well, maybe don’t have quite as much fun, but you get the idea.”

Directed by Grammy Award-winner Jonas Åkerlund, the film blends never-before-seen archival material with revealing interviews from Idol, his family, bandmates and artists including Miley Cyrus, the Sex Pistols’ Steve Jones and Paul Cook, Nile Rodgers and Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong.

Chronicling his anarchic beginnings in the London punk scene to superstardom in the MTV era, when "White Wedding" and "Rebel Yell" ruled the music charts, the film reveals what Idol had to overcome to not just survive, but to remain a vital figure in rock ‘n’ roll almost fifty years into his career. With intimate access to Idol’s family and inner-circle, including his late mother Joan, longtime girlfriend Perri Lister and all three of his children, remarkably the film also reveals how a DNA test led Idol to discover his long-lost son Brant.

Exploring Idol’s cultural impact and near-fatal exploits alike with unflinching candour, Swedish filmmaker Jonas Åkerlund - world-famous for his music videos for major artists from Madonna and Taylor Swift to The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney - paints a portrait of determination, selfdestruction, and redemption; a must-see celebration of resilience and rock ‘n’ roll.

The film will make its London theatrical debut at a ticketed fan event organised by Live Nation Studios and Fremantle on 3 March 2026 at London’s Picturehouse Central, followed by a conversation with Billy Idol, Generation X’s Tony James and John Taylor of Duran Duran.

Billy Idol Should Be Dead is produced by Live Nation Studios. Executive producers are Michael Rapino and J. Ralph. Producers include Violaine Etienne, Jonas Åkerlund, Orian Williams, Mark Monroe, Ryan Kroft, Jessica James Batista, Laurence Freedman and China Chow.

Fremantle holds international distribution rights, excluding the US. The deal for Sky and NOW with Fremantle was negotiated by Facundo Bailez, Head of Acquisitions, and Amy Swinglehurst, Senior Acquisitions Executive, at Sky.

Billy Idol Should Be Dead will air on Sky and streaming service NOW from 26 March.

About Billy Idol

For almost 50 years, Billy Idol has been one of the definitive faces and voices of rock’n’roll. Between 1977 and 1981, Idol released three albums with Generation X as their camera-ready frontman. In 1982, with guitarist Steve Stevens at his side, he embarked on a transatlantic/trans-genre solo career that integrated the bold and simple lines of punk and rock’n’roll decadence on songs like “Dancing With Myself,” “White Wedding,” Rebel Yell,” “Eyes Without A Face,” “Cradle of Love” and more. Touring consistently around the world and showing no signs of slowing down, Idol released Dream Into It on Dark Horse Records in 2025, earning praise from fans and critics alike.