If only for a little while, Ozzy Osbourne started to feel like himself again when he made his way back to music. In the official trailer for the upcoming documentary Ozzy: No Escape From Now, the Prince of Darkness battles health struggles that initially interfered with his ability to say a proper goodbye to his fans.
Out Oct. 7, the Paramount+ film follows Osbourne and his family through medical mishaps, including one instance in which he broke his neck. The surgery he endured after, his son Jack Osbourne said in the clip, left him in even worse condition than before. The only thing that seemed to really help was recording songs. “I took dad to the studio every single day,” Kelly Osbourne said. “He’d get comfortable, and it was like the magic would begin.”
The trailer shows footage of Osbourne recording the title track for Patient Number 9, his thirteenth and ultimately final studio album, which arrived in 2022. The metal legend died earlier this summer at the age of 76. The news arrived on July 22, just over two weeks after Osbourne fulfilled his desire to say farewell with his final live appearance during Black Sabbath‘s Back to the Beginning all-star tribute concert.
“I’m not good at being sick,” Osbourne said in the trailer. “I belong up there, you know.” The idea for the show is first presented by Sharon Osbourne, but he makes it clear, “If I’m going to go up there, I want to be up there the old Ozzy.”
In February, Sharon shared a statement about the documentary, which began filming in 2022 and was directed by Tania Alexander. “This film is an honest account of what has happened to Ozzy during the last few years,” she said. “It shows how hard things have been for him and the courage he has shown while dealing with a number of serious health issues, including Parkinson’s. It’s about the reality of his life now. We have worked with a production team we trust and have allowed them the freedom to tell the story openly. We hope that story will inspire people that are facing similar issues to Ozzy.”
At that final concert in July, Osbourne appeared onstage in a leather chair and sang “I Don’t Know,” “Mr. Crowley,” “Suicide Solution,” “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” and “Crazy Train” with veteran members of his solo band. Despite concerns about the state of his voice in light of his health issues, he worked hard to prepare for the appearance and gave it his all.
“If my life’s coming to an end, I really can’t complain,” Osbourne said in the trailer. “I had a great life.”