STRANGE JOURNEY – THE STORY OF ROCKY HORROR

Several years ago, I stumbled upon the YouTube page for the song I’m Going Home, one of the highlights from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. As I read through the comments, I was overcome with emotion—each person shared their personal story and the deep place the song held in their heart. While Rocky Horror had always been a major part of my life and I was well aware of its societal impact, this was the first time I truly grasped the enormity of its influence on individual lives. That realization became the genesis of this film. I understood what a meaningful and layered story this was—Rocky’s rise, fall, and rise again; its influence on music, cinema, and pop culture; the unique cult phenomenon it fostered and the safe space it created for all kinds of people; and the unfortunate reality that, in today’s political climate, Rocky is as relevant as ever. To top it off, my own father, Richard O’Brien, was the one who created Rocky, playing a part in so many people’s lives. I knew this story needed to be told—and that it had never been explored in depth as a documentary feature.

Initially, I didn’t intend to direct the film myself. My plan was to find the right partners and help bring it to life. However, when I brought the project to my old friend Avner Shiloah, who then introduced me toGarret Price and Adam Gibbs of Margot Station, we all began to realize this was also a father/son story.

Rocky was created around the time I was born, and I grew up in its world—even becoming the youngest person to see the original stage production in London at the age of four. The three of them made the case that I was the right person to tell this story, and together, we embarked on the journey of making this documentary.

I had to convince my dad that my partners and I would tell Rocky’s story in a way that did it justice. Our first step was flying to New Zealand to conduct our main interview with him. Even though Rocky is in my blood and I’d heard so many stories over the years, this was a different experience—I was able to spend several days digging deeper with him and touching on subjects he hadn’t always been comfortable discussing. From there, we conducted interviews in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Australia.

Reconnecting with the cast and crew I had grown up around was incredibly rewarding. Meeting up with Nell, Barry, Susan, Tim, Pat, Jim, and Lou was especially meaningful—they knew me as a baby, and for most of them, the last time they saw me, I was probably eight years old.

Speaking with fans and people whose lives were deeply affected by the film was both eye-opening and humbling. Rocky Horror is unique in the way it created communities and spaces for people to express themselves without judgment—to feel liberated in every way they choose and to find a home among others like them. This documentary is as much a celebration of them as it is of Rocky Horror itself. The fans have taken this piece of art and made it their own, giving it a life beyond what my dad or any of its original creators could have imagined. While it’s unabashedly queer, what makes Rocky special is that it remains an inclusive and shared space for people of all genders and orientations—a place where so many have figured out who they are and who they want to be.

As Trixie Mattel says in the film, you’d hope we lived in a world where Rocky Horror was a relic, but sadly, that’s not the case—which is why this documentary, and stories like it, are more important than ever.

I’m grateful to all those who participated, as well as the incredible crews who worked on the film, and I’m honored to have been entrusted with telling this story. It feels incredibly fitting that this documentary will premiere at SXSW in Austin—one of the two cities where the midnight screenings and cult following first began to evolve. We hope the audience enjoys this joyful and life-affirming celebration of a remarkable cultural touchstone—filled with amazing music, campy madness, tears, and laughter.