TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY is now available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ today in the U.S. and Canada, and tomorrow, March 12th, in the UK, Australia, Latin America, France, Italy, and Germany. This marks the first time the fully restored version of the classic ‘80s documentary from legendary, Academy Award®-winning director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Jerry Maguire) has been made widely available to a global audience.
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, the film offers 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 they 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, capturing 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.
“Heartbreakers 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!!”
TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY is executive produced by the Petty Legacy, LLC, Bruce Resnikoff, and Bruce Gillmer (MTV Entertainment Studios).
About Tom Petty
Over his 40-year career, Tom Petty became a beloved American rock & roll icon, world-renowned for his songwriting and his incredible band, The Heartbreakers. In addition to the 13 studio albums he made with The Heartbreakers, Petty recorded three solo albums, including the acclaimed Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers. Petty was also a member of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys and, before The Heartbreakers, the band Mudcrutch.
Hailed as one of the greatest popular music artists of all time, Petty’s honors include induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, along with multiple Grammy Awards. He sold over 85 million records, amassed over 5 billion streams, and performed for more than 140 million fans worldwide. Tom Petty passed away in 2017, shortly after completing his 40th-anniversary tour, leaving behind a trove of unreleased material. His music continues to reach fans—both new and old—around the world today.
About The Tom Petty Estate
Established in 2018 by Tom Petty’s family after his untimely passing, the Tom Petty Estate continues to honor the life and legacy of one of America’s greatest rock artists and songwriters. Through innovative storytelling and forward-thinking initiatives, the Estate ensures that Petty’s impact continues to reach generations to come.
Just last year, some of Petty’s closest friends and collaborators came together to lovingly curate Petty Country: A Country Music Celebration of Tom Petty, via Big Machine Records in partnership with the Tom Petty Estate. Most recently, the family opened their archives to share an expansive deluxe edition of the groundbreaking album Long After Dark alongside the cult-classic documentary of the same era from Cameron Crowe, TOM PETTY: HEARTBREAKERS BEACH PARTY.
Petty is widely recognized and remembered for his philanthropy and service to the communities he called home in Los Angeles and Gainesville, Florida. In that spirit, the Petty Estate aims to extend the late artist’s legacy—both musically and in spirit—by supporting philanthropic and social issues that were close to Petty’s heart.
