The Frank Zappa Family Trust Gives Green Light to Alex Winter Documentary

To tell the true tale of one Frank Zappa would be a difficult task, but it appears director Alex Winter is up the the task and with the blessing of the Zappa family.

“This is not an easy story to tell and we trust that Alex truly understands the complex and multi-faceted man that my father was,” Zappa’s son Ahmet Zappa told Variety. The film has a planned 2017 release. Winter has made such tell-tale documentaries as Deep Web and Downloaded, but may be best know in front of the camera in such films as Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and The Lost Boys.

"Our tale will be told primarily in Frank's own words; he will be our guide through this journey," Winter said. "There has yet to be a definitive, authorized documentary on the extraordinary life and work of Frank Zappa. I am beyond thrilled to be embarking on this journey." Zappa's life and career were nothing if not fascinating. He remains one of the most influential and respected figures from the music world.

No doubt fans will be excited by this news, but Zappa himself may not have been thrilled by all the attention. In a 1993 interview with Jamie Gangel on The Today Show, one of his last, he was asked how he wanted to be remembered. "Eh ... it's not important." As the interviewer prods him about being remembered for the music, he replied, "It's not important to even be remembered. The people who worry about being remembered are guys like Reagan, Bush. These people want to be remembered, and they'll spend a lot of money, and do a lot of work to make sure that remembrance is just terrific. I don't care."