Watch trailer for 'Street Survivors' movie about Lynyrd Skynyrd's 1977 plane crash

Told from the perspective of drummer Artimus Pyle, the film centres on the tragic Mississippi plane crash on 20th October 1977 that claimed the lives of legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines and his backing vocalist sister Cassie Gaines, road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray.

Powered by Artimus Pyle’s first-hand recollections of the crash, the film focuses on the hours leading up to the crash in the rented plane, and the aftermath.

The film will get its official global premiere at 7.30pm on Sunday 16th February at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival before hitting select cinemas Stateside this spring.

Artimus Pyle says of ‘Street Survivors: The True Story Of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash’: "This film's story — MY story — is not just about the plane crash but also about my personal relationship with the genius that was Ronnie Van Zant — whom I loved like a brother and still miss to this day."

Watch the trailer here:

Named after Lynyrd Skynyrd’s 1977 album of the same name, ‘Street Survivors…’ is directed by Jared Cohn and features Cleopatra Records founder Brian Perera on production duties.

The cast includes Ian Shultis as Artimus Pyle, Taylor Clift as RonnieVan Zant, Samuel Kay Forrest as Steve Gaines, Rich Dally III as Allen Collins, Hudson Long as Billy Powell and Nick Cairo as Leon Wilkeson. Neill Byrnes and Anthony Rocco Bovo play Aerosmith rockers Steven Tyler and Joe Perry.

Principle photography on the film began in April 2017 in Los Angeles, however in August of that year, sole original member Gary Rossington and heirs of Van Zant and Gaines successfully won a court injunction to halt production of the film.

The judge decided that the film violated a “blood oath” consent order Pyle signed with his band mates in 1988, that allegedly gave individual band members permission to tell their own life stories but not exploit the Lynyrd Skynyrd name after the crash.

However, in October 2018 the Second U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, New York overturned the permanent injunction and Cleopatra Records Inc. were free to distribute the film.

“That crash is part of the history’ of the band, but it is also an ‘experience’ of Pyle with the band, likely his most important experience,” the ruling read.

“Provisions of a consent decree that both prohibit a movie about such a history and also permit a movie about such an experience are sufficiently inconsistent, or at least insufficiently specific, to support an injunction.”

The current incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd headline Ramblin’ Man Fair this summer.