HBO Documentary Films has released the first trailer for the upcoming Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage, the first film in its planned Music Box series, which will be a collection of documentaries from executive producer Bill Simmons. The docufilm centered around the infamous 1999 music festival, which notoriously descended into riots, looting, and mayhem, will be released July 23 on HBO and also be available to stream on HBO Max, marking 22 years since Woodstock 99 took place.
Directed by Garret Price (Love, Antosha), Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage follows the events of the titular three-day festival which was initially intended to promote unity and the counterculture of the original concert 30 years prior. Instead, Woodstock 99 became a hotbed for chaos, and the documentary examines whether the event itself marked a significant change in American culture — and not one for the better.
The film features interviews and insight from many participants, including Woodstock 99 organizers Michael Lang and John Scher, as well as culture critics Wesley Morris, Maureen Callahan, and Steven Hyden. The documentary also spotlights first-hand accounts from musicians, including The Roots’ Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Moby, Jewel, The Offspring, Creed’s Scott Stapp, and other festival attendees. Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage is produced by Sean Keegan and Adam Gibbs, executive produced by Simmons, Jody Gerson, and Marc Cimino, co-executive produced by Geoff Chow, Sean Fennessey, and Noah Malale. For HBO, Tina Nguyen serves as senior producer alongside executive producers Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.
Woodstock 99 will be the first film to debut as part of the Music Box documentary collection offering deep dives into pivotal moments in the music world. Future films in the series will begin airing in late fall 2021 and include:
Jagged: An intimate exploration of Alanis Morissette and her groundbreaking 1995 album Jagged Little Pill; directed by Alison Klayman
Untitled DMX: A film with rare access to the late rapper after his release from prison – a portrait of a man struggling with addiction, fame, and his inner demons in the final years of his life; directed by Christopher Frierson
Listening to Kenny G: An examination of the most popular instrumentalist of all time and why he is polarizing to so many; directed by Penny Lane
Mr. Saturday Night: The untold story of Robert Stigwood and how he amped the disco era; directed by John Maggio
Untitled Juice WRLD: A film exploring how the late hip-hop star impacted a genre during his short life; directed by Tommy Oliver
Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage premieres July 23 on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Watch the first trailer below:
Here's the official synopsis for the documentary:
WOODSTOCK 99: PEACE, LOVE, AND RAGE unfolds over three blazing hot days and nights of nonstop performances and heaving mosh pits in July 1999, and examines how the festival eventually collapsed under the weight of its own misguided ambition. The musical lineup reflected acts that dominated MTV and radio airwaves at the time and leaned heavily towards artists catering to a young, male demographic. Intense heat, lack of adequate sanitation and access to free drinking water agitated a crowd already at a breaking point. Shortcuts and cost-cutting measures had diminished security, allowing the anger and frustration of the mob to explode into unchecked rioting and destruction. As much as Woodstock 69 became known as a celebration of peace and inclusion, Woodstock 99 became a flashpoint for burgeoning white toxic masculinity.