For years, BTS Army has seen their passion and devotion reflected back to them in concert footage featured in film releases from the supergroup. But soon, the fandom will be the sole focus of a documentary highlighting their role in BTS history. Forever We Are Young opens in theaters on July 30.
“There is no BTS without ARMY and no ARMY without BTS,” co-directors Grace Lee and Patty Ahn shared in a statement. “We’re excited for audiences to go on an emotional journey and meet a fandom that made us laugh, cry, and think.”
Trafalgar Releasing will distribute the film, which captures the international scope of BTS Army. The documentary features fans attending a BTS-focused ReactorCon in Lewisville, Texas, as well as a dance instructor in Seoul who specializes in BTS choreography. It will also zoom in on the sector of the fandom that has supported the group since 2013, breaking chart records and shaping them into an undeniable part of pop music history.
“FOREVER WE ARE YOUNG dives into the passionate fandom that catapulted 21st century pop icons BTS into a global household name,” a synopsis of the documentary reads. “Defying stereotypes of pop fans as screaming teen girls, ARMY is an intergenerational, culturally savvy, and socially active movement that is as diverse as the world itself. The film captures the powerful spirit of activism and collectivity that make ARMY a symbol of hope and unity in our ever-fractured world.”
Ticket sales begin July 2.
The film was produced by Eurie Chung, Lee, Nora Chute, and Ahn. Morgan Neville, Caitrin Rogers, and James Shin served as executive producers. Forever We Are Young premiered at SXSW in Austin earlier this year.
“We spent a couple years just kind of developing the idea, having a lot of fun together, thinking about what aspects of ARMY we could focus on. But of course, we couldn’t make this film without the cooperation and help of HYBE,” Ahn told Deadline. “We worked pretty much independently, creatively, but we did need the permission of HYBE on the archival assets and the music rights and all that.”
Lee added: “You can’t make a film about BTS without using the music and without using archival footage of them. So the support and blessing of the label was something that we needed to do to actually make the film.”
