The new 1996 film Oasis Knebworth broke the UK box office record for the highest-grossing documentary film of 2021.
The documentary, which premiered in theaters last week, tells the story of the legendary band’s concerts through the eyes of the band and the fans who attended. Directed by Grammy Award-winning director Jake Scott, the film also includes never-before-seen archive footage of the concerts.
Oasis Knebworth 1996 has been confirmed as Britain’s highest-grossing documentary so far this year, grossing £634,728 since its premiere, as well as the highest-grossing UK theatrical release in 2021.
“We are pleased to see that fans around the world have enjoyed the incredible cinematic experience of Oasis Knebworth 1996 and we look forward to providing audiences with more opportunities to restore the energy and excitement surrounding these popular concerts soon,” he said. Tom McKay, Head of Premium Content for Sony Music Entertainment.
Oasis Knebworth 1996 includes an account of Noel Gallagher and Bonehead, although Liam is less involved – Scott recently opened up with NME about why.
“I honestly think that was Liam’s personal preference,” he explained. “As I get it, he felt like the movie spoke for itself. Noel and Bunnihead offered so much, Liam couldn’t have done so much more. He’s a different person than Noel.”
“He’s an actor and you find that with a lot of actors, they don’t want to be a distraction from anything else. They want to be in the present. I wonder if it’s just a little bit more of that, a little bit of artistic integrity.” I don’t want to remember and go back. I’m doing my tour now and I want to focus on that.
In an NME review of the five-star film, we wrote: “Aside from family arguments, there’s nothing else to blame for Oasis Knebworth 1996. For those who’ve been out there, the film offers a portal back into the golden age.”
“For others, it’s the memory of the privileged teenage years, when a plastic cup full of hot beer and a sunny afternoon in a park turns into the greatest adventure of your life. And yes, Noel, there were no cell phones.”
“Thinker. Professional twitter fanatic. Certified introvert. Troublemaker. Unapologetic zombie maven.”