Hollywood Vampires Documentary to Open 42nd Boston Film Festival
Alice Cooper, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen will take the stage at the 42nd Boston Film Festival this September — not to play, but to talk about the film that traces their band's unlikely origin story. The documentary Unleashed Spirits: The Rise of the Hollywood Vampires will have its opening night premiere at the festival, which runs 17–21 September 2026. Director Daniel E. Catullo III will also attend, according to Variety.
The film depicts how a secret 1970s "drinking and social club" that Cooper ran with fellow musicians on the Sunset Strip eventually inspired the rock supergroup Hollywood Vampires. The band's lineup includes Cooper, Aerosmith guitarist Perry, multi-instrumentalist Tommy Henriksen and Johnny Depp. A trailer has already been released, and Perry described the documentary as "pretty amazing" in a July 2025 interview with Blabbermouth.
The documentary also features concert footage from a Hollywood Vampires performance at the Boch Center – Wang Theater in Boston, tying the film's festival premiere to the city where part of it was shot. The band's official Facebook page has been promoting a 2026 tour alongside references to the upcoming film, including a Johnny Depp-fronted show at London's O2 Arena on 12 August 2026.
Beyond opening night, the Boston Film Festival has packed its five-day run with premieres and special events. World premieres include the feature films Bolio and A Minor Time, along with the documentaries Papertown, My Father, Dick Allen, 4000 Days, Come What May and Tony Foster: Life on the Edge. Michael Mailer's Little Audrey will close the festival on 21 September.
Warner Bros. Television Group has partnered with Emerson College and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design to host screenings and panel events during the festival. WBTV will hold a "Next Gen" panel at Emerson College on 17 September, and screen an episode of Adventure Time: Side Quests at MassArt on 19 September, followed by a conversation with creatives Nate Cash, Victor Courtright, Keith Pakiz and Matthew Yang. The festival will also host a screening of The Voice with Season 29 winner Alexia Jayy and executive producer and showrunner Audrey Morrissey.
Author Michael Connelly will give a special presentation on 21 September. Festival executive director Robin Dawson said the festival is proud to mark its 42nd edition by showcasing storytelling from bold new voices and acclaimed filmmakers, as reported by Variety.
For fans of the Hollywood Vampires, the premiere is a chance to see the band's full arc — from a notorious Hollywood drinking club to a touring act still selling out arenas in 2026 — through the eyes of the people who lived it.
