The unauthorized documentary on late Static-X frontman Wayne Static and his ex-wife Tera Wray will now be funded by filmmaker/musician Matt Zane. That project, which Zane asserts began filming years ago at the behest of Static and Wray themselves, has faced outright condemnation from the estates of the late couple.
While Zane vowed to forge ahead with the project late last year, the estates of the Static & Wray issued a cease and desist against him over the project. Zane went on to attempt to crowdfund the film via Indiegogo, though fan support for it appeared minimal, raising some $400 from 4 backers before ultimately failing to be funded.
Given his well-documented friendship with the couple, Zane‘s proposed film intends to tell the tale of the the final years of Static and Wray‘s lives, where the couple had been partaking in some dangerous behavior. A press statement issued by Zane yesterday (January 21st) outlined his revised plans for the documentary:
‘Los Angeles, CA — Filmmaker Matt Zane has announced that his unauthorized documentary focusing on late STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static and his wife Tera Wray will move forward as a self-funded project, following the failure of its recent crowdfunding campaign.
The campaign faced immediate challenges after the estates of both Wayne Static and Tera Wray publicly objected to the project less than 24 hours before its launch. The following day, Zane was issued a cease-and-desist notice from both estates, prompting significant backlash from fans and contributing to the campaign falling short of its funding goals.
Despite the setback, Zane says he remains committed to completing the documentary and will personally finance the project.
“I’m sure the estates and everyone over in the current STATIC-X camp thought that if they could prevent my funding, that would be the end of it,” said Zane. “I’m here to tell you I’ll move forward regardless and will self-fund this project to ensure that it’s made.”
A segment of the fan community previously accused Zane of pursuing the documentary as a “cash grab.” However, with the project now self-funded, all financial risk rests solely with the filmmaker, and the likelihood of profit is minimal. Zane maintains that financial gain has never been his motivation.
“Wayne and Tera asked me to make this. They were my friends,” Zane explained. “I couldn’t get it done while they were here, but I can do it now. They wanted their truth and their story out there, and they trusted me with all of their video projects. I won’t let them down.”
Zane has also expressed a continued desire to engage in dialogue with the families of Wayne Static and Tera Wray regarding the film’s intent.
“I sincerely hope their families watch it,” he said. “I truly believe they will come to understand that my intention was always to honor Wayne and Tera’s wishes.”
Weekly updates on the progress of the documentary will be shared via Matt Zane’s Instagram account: @lordzane’
Zane, who originally came up in the adult entertainment scene and has also pursued a career in music with Society 1, among other ventures, worked closely with Static in the 7 years prior to his untimely 2014 passing from an accidental overdose. Wray, who Zane first met during their time in the adult film industry, took her own life in 2016. In a new interview with Screamer Magazine, Zane spoke further about the documentary:
“For the current film about Wayne and Tera. I’m in the research and encoding phase, going through old footage to find private material and researching online for interviews and quotes. I want to say the truth, first and foremost. Five years ago, Static-X called me for a film project, and I suggested this idea because I had talked to Wayne and Tera about it before their passing, and they loved the idea.
We worked for two years, but it started taking a different narrative direction and focused on the band’s resurgence. I suggested we make two separate movies – they could tell their story, and I would make a movie just about Wayne and Tera with no Static-X music, only Pig Hammer. None of the current band in it. They agreed and gave me full creative control.”
“When I finished 95% of the movie and got an offer from a production company, management told me to go fuck myself.
Speaking further on the objections he has since faced about the project and its clashes with the official Static-X documentary ‘Evil Disco‘ he says he also had a hand in, Zane told the aforementioned publication:
“People assume I just woke up one day to cause trouble, but that wasn’t the case. I discussed this with Tony [Campos, Static-X bassist/vocalist] face to face and with management for years. When Evil Disco‘s trailer came out, I was in the studio with them and told them about my plans… They said ‘no problem.’ But then I got cease and desist letters. They destroyed my Indiegogo campaign, and even Tera’s family came out against me, which was surprising since Tera’s mom had thanked me for remembering Tera publicly.”
