Trailer Released for Neil Peart Documentary No One's Disciple

Production and Premiere Details

The 96-minute documentary, titled "Neil Peart: No One's Disciple," focuses on the life and career of late musician Neil Peart. The film was co-directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, the duo responsible for the 2010 RUSH documentary "Beyond The Lighted Stage." Following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), a subsequent public screening is scheduled for September 19. The 2026 festival runs from September 10 through September 20.

The documentary is also slated to air on Canada's CBC network on September 23 as part of the series "The Passionate Eye." Speaking with Andria Case of CTV News, Dunn explained the decision to create a new film about Peart more than 15 years after their previous RUSH project.

"Well, Neil Peart is one of the greatest rock drummers of all time. He is a remarkable lyricist, was an author, and we hope what this documentary will reveal is [that he was] also a very loyal and loving friend, an inspiration to a lot of people. And so we just felt that even though we did the RUSH documentary all those years ago, that there was a film to be made about Neil."

— Sam Dunn

Inside the Documentary

"Neil Peart: No One's Disciple" chronicles the Canadian musician's early struggles as a young artist and his subsequent "meteoric rise." The film features archival interview footage of Peart himself, including reflections on his childhood introduction to music.

"When I started to get around 11 or 12 years old I was banging around the house and smashing up pots and pans, and my parents got the idea that I liked to hit things with sticks."

— Neil Peart

The documentary includes interviews with RUSH co-founders Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, alongside reflections from other acclaimed drummers. According to the TIFF synopsis, Lee and Lifeson teamed up with four revered drummers — Stewart Copeland (THE POLICE), Danny Carey (TOOL), Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), and Gavin Harrison — for what is described as a "poignant tribute." The film features new live performances of RUSH classics with Smith, Copeland, and Carey filling Peart's seat behind the drum kit.

Dunn noted that the film aims to provide a more personal look at the musician, who was known for being private.

"Well, I think people know the drummer and the lyricist and the talented artist that he was, but I don't think people really know much about him personally, 'cause he was quite a guarded person. And so in the film we pulled together a number of friends of his to really tell us about what he was like as a person, and I think what our film reveals is that — I think the word is a real inspiration to a lot of people in their lives. And so, yeah, here we go. Neil Peart story — it's time to tell it."

— Sam Dunn

Legacy and the Battle with Illness

Peart passed away on January 7, 2020, in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 67. His death followed a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. In the trailer, Geddy Lee reflects on the emotional weight of honoring his late bandmate.

"After Neil passed away, we never really were able to pay tribute to him. And that weighed on me a lot."

— Geddy Lee

In 2022, Lee revealed that Peart requested his diagnosis remain a secret. Lee and Lifeson maintained this privacy for three and a half years, even when it required being "dishonest" to fans to protect their friend.

"[Peart] didn't want anyone to know [about his illness]. He just didn't. He wanted to keep it in the house. And we did. And that was hard. I can't tell you it was easy, 'cause it was not easy. And it was ongoing. His diagnosis was… he was given 18 months at the most, and it went on three and a half years. And so that was a constant flow of us going to see him, giving him support."

— Geddy Lee

"What his family had to live through was really difficult, so it was a lot of back-and-forth. And when you're in that state, it's very hard to function normally, because you can't talk to anybody about it, 'cause no one's supposed to know. And so people hear rumblings and they bring things up to you, and you deflect it. And so that feels, on one hand, it feels dishonest, but on the other hand you're being loyal to your friend. So fuck the dishonesty part. That wins. I would say that was the most difficult time for us to move forward, during that whole thing, because we were in this bubble of grief sort of walking towards an inevitable and terrible conclusion."

— Geddy Lee

Current Activity and "Fifty Something" Tour

Lee and Lifeson are currently on the road for the "Fifty Something" world tour, which marks the first trek with a revamped lineup. The band includes German drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold. The tour kicked off on June 7 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California.

The "evening with" shows feature two sets per night, with the band drawing from a catalog of approximately 40 tracks, including greatest hits and fan favorites. After the initial 2026 dates were announced in October 2025 and sold out instantly, the tour was extended to include more dates across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.