On December 9th, filmmaker Matt Zane announced on Twitter/X that he would be crowdfunding in order to begin production on a documentary focusing on the lives of late Static-X frontman Wayne Static and his late wife Tera Wray. The documentary also promotes the unveiling of never before seen footage, including interviews, as well as previously unreleased songs. Zane claims that Static and Wray themselves personally asked him to create this deep dive into their lives, and that the trio had been working on it at the time of Static's untimely passing.
Wray had worked with Zane in the late 2000s, as she had hosted his Radium music series, going around to different heavy metal concerts and acting as an interviewer. Zane has also worked with Static-X over the years, notably filming the last three music videos Wayne Static starred in before his passing. He was also recruited to work on the new music videos for Project: Regeneration Vol. 1, which featured some of the last recordings Static did when he was alive. As well as being a collaborator, he was also a longtime friend of both Wayne Static and Tera Wray. He feels as if it his duty to honor their lives by fulfilling this documentary because he thinks it's what they would have wanted.
Aimee Wells Pittman, the sister of Wayne Static, published a lengthy statement on the situation via social media on behalf of both families:
"We are sharing this with the world to ensure that our feelings are crystal clear on this matter.
"We are not interested in the further development of any unauthorized biography or documentary focused on our deceased son, daughter, and siblings, Wayne Wells ('Wayne Static') and Tera Lents ('Tera Wray'). This includes but is not limited to: any behind-the-scenes footage from music videos, adult film sets, concerts, house parties, developmental projects, reality TV pilots, private photos, or any other portrayals of Wayne Wells Static, Tera Lents Wray Static, or either of their likenesses. Any attempt to exploit their unauthorized likeness will be met with the appropriate legal response.
"We strenuously object to any further exploration or exploitation of this dark and tragic chapter in their lives. Additionally, we feel that the music video for the Wayne Static song 'Assassins Of Youth', directed by Matt Zane and released in 2013, and the STATIC-X 'Stay Alive' music video released in 2023, thoroughly depict the dangerous lifestyle that Wayne and Tera were embracing prior to their subsequent deaths. Further, STATIC-X is nearing completion of the official STATIC-X documentary titled 'Evil Disco - The Rise, Fall, And Regeneration Of Static-X'. The official documentary dives deep into the entire life's work of Wayne Static and STATIC-X. The film is expected to be around 80 minutes in length and devotes the appropriate amount of time to exploring the lifestyle changes and ultimate tragedies that followed.
"If Mr. Zane is in possession of any additional rare or unseen footage that could contribute to the celebration of Wayne's life and legacy, we kindly ask him to share the footage with our families so that we can review and consider it for potential inclusion in the official 'Evil Disco' documentary. Additionally, any unreleased music featuring the voice of Wayne Static or his musical compositions would require the approval of the estate before any publication or release.
"We further challenge Mr. Zane to share any musical works that he claims might contain the actual voice of Wayne Static so that we can determine their authenticity and quality for consideration. We are not interested in Wayne Static's voice appearing within any Al-generated music.
"In closing, we would like to thank the STATIC-X fans around the world for their continued love and support for Wayne and the band. We are so proud of the band and what they have accomplished together.
"STATIC-X's music is as popular as ever, and Wayne's energy and legacy have been celebrated and regenerated through the band's incredible return to the stage.
"We fully support the current team and lineup of STATIC-X and their continued respect and love for Wayne's memory and our family. We are delighted that the world is continuing to celebrate the powerful music that Wayne and the band created together and the incredible energy that he and the band have always carried onto the stage.
"Sincerely, The family and estate of Wayne Wells Static & Tera Lents Static".
As mentioned in the statement above, Static-X have previously announced that they would be working on a documentary celebrating 25 years of the band entitled Evil Disco: The Rise, Fall, and Regeneration of Static-X. While it has been almost two years since the trailer dropped and the documentary has still yet to be released, Aimee Wells Pittman's statement confirms that it is nearing completion. The invitation has been extended for Zane to reach out to the families directly with any content that could potentially be included in the Evil Disco documentary, rather than taking the liberty of creating his own without authorization.
