Two Ozzy Osbourne documentaries set for early October releases

Two feature documentaries about Ozzy Osbourne will reach audiences in early October, with the BBC scheduling its hourlong Coming Home film for Oct. 2 and Paramount premiering Ozzy No Escape From Now on Oct. 7. Both films chronicle the rocker’s final years — including a serious 2019 fall, a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and his last public performances in Birmingham — but they were produced and framed very differently, promising distinct perspectives on the life and decline of the heavy metal icon.

Paramount’s feature, directed by Tania Alexander and produced in collaboration with the Osbourne family, will stream internationally on Oct. 7, excluding Japan. The film follows what the distributor calls the last six years of Osbourne’s life, combining interviews with Ozzy, his wife Sharon and their children Aimee, Kelly and Jack with contributions from fellow musicians including Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Metallica’s James Hetfield, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash and others. Trailer footage released this month shows intimate scenes of Osbourne in the studio recording material from his final albums and reflects on the impact of successive surgeries, chronic pain and deteriorating mobility...