The long running dispute surrounding the late Wayne Static’s legacy has escalated again, with filmmaker and Society 1 frontman Matt Zane delivering an explosive new interview detailing his fallout with Static-X and their camp over his controversial documentary project.
Speaking on We Were Loud Once Pod, Zane opened up at length about his planned unauthorized documentary focused on Wayne Static’s final years alongside his late wife Tera Wray, a project that has been met with legal resistance from both the couple’s estates and those connected to Static-X.
Zane claims he was originally brought into work on the band’s official documentary, Evil Disco, and says an understanding was reached that would allow him to later produce a separate film centred specifically on Wayne and Tera’s later life.
It’s a very interesting interview and well worth checking out:
Things shifted as Static-X’s reunion continued to grow
According to Zane, things shifted as Static-X’s reunion momentum continued to grow, reflecting on his initial support for the band’s return, Zane explained he was willing to put aside reservations surrounding Wayne’s fractured relationship with bassist Tony Campos because the comeback initially felt like a respectful tribute (per The PRP).
“It was a one-off tour. It was a tribute to him,” Zane said.
As the reunion expanded, his concerns deepened, particularly with the evolution of the “Xer0” persona fronting the band.
“But if you were really all about, you know, just pushing ‘Evil Disco‘ out there and keeping it out there for the fans, and keeping Wayne‘s memory alive, then why wouldn’t you let a guy that actually worked with Wayne… tell your story?” he said.
“And then secondly, if you were really all about, you know, just pushing Wayne‘s memory and ‘Evil Disco‘, why do you got a robot up there with puppets?”
Zane alleges that after spending two years working on Evil Disco for what he described as “less than minimum wage”, promises regarding his own documentary were pulled once outside production funding was secured.
He further claimed equipment previously given to him as compensation was later reclaimed, while legal threats and alleged efforts to sabotage crowdfunding for his film followed.
The filmmaker insists his project is about preserving Wayne and Tera’s full story, including the difficult realities of their final years, rather than sanitising the narrative, the documentary remains in production amid legal opposition, though Zane says he intends to self-fund the project and continue pursuing its release.
For now, the battle over Wayne Static’s story, and who gets to tell it, shows no sign of slowing down.
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