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After years of quietly building a diverse and ambitious film and television division, Live Nation is stepping into the spotlight with five new projects premiering at the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. The global live-entertainment giant is showcasing a slate that underscores its deepening commitment to music-focused storytelling — from visual albums to hard-hitting documentaries and original scripted content.
Headlining the lineup is Something Beautiful, a visual companion to Miley Cyrus’ latest album, which reflects Live Nation’s artist-first ethos. “In large part, we just supported her vision,” says Ryan Kroft, head of the company’s film and TV division since 2019.
Far more hands-on was the creation of Billy Idol Should Be Dead, a brutally honest documentary where Idol confronts his heroin addiction and personal failings. Featuring candid interviews with family members and a deep dive into the highs and lows of his career, the film avoids clichés and delivers emotional weight. “Billy was really willing to go there in a way a lot of artists aren’t,” Kroft notes.
Also premiering is Still Free TC, a documentary by Ty Dolla $ign that focuses on his campaign to free his brother Gabriel “Big T” Griffin, who received a 67-year prison sentence for a crime he says he didn’t commit. The film ends with a call to action — a direct phone number to Governor Gavin Newsom’s office for clemency support.
Becky G’s Rebbeca and Anderson .Paak’s scripted comedy K-Pops round out the lineup. In K-Pops, .Paak plays a washed-up musician who lands in Korea to drum for a pop contestant, only to discover the contestant is his estranged son — marking a bold move into scripted comedy for the company.
Since launching the division in 2015, Live Nation has co-produced more than 20 projects, including A Star Is Born, Five Foot Two, and Moonage Daydream. Now, with upcoming comedies like Rolling Loud and New Year’s Rev — inspired by real-life music festival chaos and Green Day road trip antics — the company is clearly ramping up its studio ambitions.
With documentaries in the pipeline on Noah Kahan’s mental health journey and the queer legacy of ‘60s and ‘70s music managers (Rock Out), Live Nation is asserting that its storytelling must be “relevant and necessary.” As Kroft puts it: “There has to be a good reason why the world needs a film before you set out to make it.”
