Sophia Michaels
Duran Duran loves Los Angeles. In celebration of their 40th anniversary, the band captured their recent rooftop performance in the city at the Aster and gathered up decades-old archival footage to pair with exclusive interviews for what would become A Hollywood High, their 75-minute documentary concert film set for release in theaters Nov. 3.
“Duran Duran have had an enduring relationship with the city of Los Angeles since the first time we came to America,” bassist John Taylor shared in a statement. “We were determined to do something unique to celebrate our four decades together. A rooftop performance in LA with the Capitol Records building across the street and the Hollywood sign looming in the distance sounded perfect and turned out to be an extraordinary night for all of us.”
The performance marked Duran Duran’s first stateside appearance in several years, which factored heavily into the planning process. “We wanted to do something really special and intimate,” keyboardist Nick Rhodes explained. “After considering many options, a rooftop performance quickly became the frontrunner. It was post-pandemic, we had never done anything like that before, and we had just released a new album. Somehow it seemed like a magical doorway to the next part of our journey.”
Directed by Gavin Elder, Vincent Adam Paul, and George Scott, A Hollywood High chronicles Duran Duran’s long-time connection to the City of Angels. The film’s trailer rewinds to the peak of their fame, depicted by clusters of screaming young women and the presentation of their Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1993. “There was no decent music coming out of Los Angeles,” Simon Le Bon remembered. “We were really, really hot.”
