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Portrait of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, left to right, Anthony Kiedis, John Frusciante, Chad Smith, and Flea in Central Park in New York, New York, October 28, 1989. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Following a rare statement from the Red Hot Chili Peppers themselves, Netflix has officially adjusted the title and framing of its upcoming music documentary ahead of its release on March 20th, 2026.
Originally announced as The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the film will now be released under the expanded title The Rise Of The Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel. The name change serves as a direct response to criticism from Anthony Kiedis, Flea, and the rest of the band, who recently moved to distance themselves from the project’s marketing.
As we previously reported, the documentary—directed by Ben Feldman and produced by Hillel Slovak’s brother, James—was initially marketed as a broad look at the band’s ascent. However, on January 30th, 2026, the Red Hot Chili Peppers released a blunt statement clarifying that they had no creative involvement in the project.
The band claimed they accepted interviews on the understanding that the film was a tribute specifically to their founding guitarist, Hillel Slovak, who passed away in 1988. In their statement, the band noted: “We had nothing to do with it creatively. We have yet to make a Red Hot Chili Peppers documentary.” The Instagram post went viral, with the post now having over 300,000 likes on Instagram alone.
Full Instagram post from Red Hot Chili Peppers
To counter this pushback, Netflix has pivoted the marketing to ensure fans understand the film’s true focus. The updated title and official synopsis now puts Slovak front and center:
“An in-depth look at the formative years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the profound influence of original guitarist, Hillel Slovak. The film explores the band’s early evolution in LA and the deep bonds forged through their friendship.“
The official runtime for the documentary has also been revealed: 1 hour and 33 minutes. Furthermore, the doc has just been confirmed to have its world premiere at SXSW on March 13th, 2026, with an additional showing on March 14th ahead of its Netflix premiere.
The film is produced by Asta Entertainment and Submarine Entertainment. While the band may not have “signed off” on this documentary about them, they did conclude their statement by saying they “hope it sparks interest in [Hillel] and his work.”
Will you be watching Our Brother, Hillel when it arrives on Netflix this March? Let us know in the comments below.
