RUNNIN' DOWN A DREAM:
TOM PETTY
and the HEARTBREAKERS
World Premiere Theatrical Event
on Monday OCTOBER 15, 2007

Los Angeles, September 10, 2007 – On October 15 the hotly anticipated Warner Brothers Records film Runnin’ Down A Dream: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will make its worldwide theatrical premiere. Directed by cinema legend Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show), Runnin’ Down A Dream tells a great American story, that of a band that came from the middle of nowhere to win the hearts of millions. The film focuses not only on the Heartbreakers’ inspiring ride to the top but the story of what they did when they got there, as artists, as a band, as people. Bogdanovich’s film explores many of the underlying reasons for the band’s unparalleled capacity not only to endure but to thrive. Gritty, exuberant, infectious: Runnin’ Down A Dream tells the Heartbreakers’ story as never before. Beginning October 15, Runnin’ Down A Dream will be screened at select theaters nationwide.

The film, two years in the making, weaves together remarkable archival material, previously unseen 8mm footage, new live and rehearsal footage, and extensive interviews conducted by director Bogdanovich. In zeroing in on both the shadows and the light around the band’s uniquely American success story, Bogdanovich finally explores the complexity of the American dream itself. As he describes, "I saw the film as a vivid piece of Americana about a natural-born poet-musician from Florida who decided to go West with a richly talented band to become rock stars. It is an extraordinary odyssey, the fascination being I think in the details of the adventure."

The film features in-depth interviews with Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, and the circle of musicians, friends and collaborators who came into the band’s orbit over the years. Participants include Stevie Nicks, Eddie Vedder, Dave Grohl, George Harrison, Jackson Browne, Roger McGuinn, Dave Stewart, Jeff Lynne, Rick Rubin, Jimmy Iovine, Johnny Depp, and others.

In addition to tracking the Heartbreakers over their decades together, Runnin’ Down A Dream also follows Tom Petty’s solo adventures and his time as a Traveling Wilbury alongside George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison. A celebration of what can happen when artists are given the chance to explore the depths of their own talent, Runnin’ Down A Dream is the story of an artistic victory unlike any other.