‘Stans’: New Documentary Explores Eminem’s Legacy Through Fan Stories

A new film about Eminem premieres at SXSW London, showcasing the music star's life through the eyes of his biggest supporters. The project, Stans, will stream on Paramount+ this fall.

Steven Leckart took charge behind the camera to direct the documentary, while Paul Rosenberg and Tony DiSanto served as producers. Summarizing the movie idea in just two words, Director Leckart stated, "It's about fandom and fame," as seen on The Upcoming Channel.

In the film, we meet Zolt Shady, a hardcore fan who's tracked the star since 2001. He walks us through key spots in Detroit that shaped the rapper's past. Another fan shows off an astounding collection of 22 portraits of Eminem's face tattooed on their skin.

In an interview with Mashable, the rapper shared how he feels when fans walk the streets he used to roam or visit places like his now-demolished childhood home, saying, "It's cool that people care, but it's weird because it's me."

The story follows Eminem's beginnings on the streets of Detroit up to his rise to stardom. You'll hear from Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine at Interscope and get the inside story on some of his pivotal albums like The Marshall Mathers LP, Relapse, and Recovery. Each album marks a new chapter in the artist's life.

Stars like Ed Sheeran also drop in to share stories on Eminem's impact. Carson Daly adds his take, and Adam Sandler chips in, too. The only press voice present is Anthony Bozza from Rolling Stone, who wrote the book Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem.

The film doesn't shy away from the dark times either. You'll get to see the pills, the pain, and his mental struggle after losing MC Proof in '06. Dr. Dre notes how raw verses about mental struggles cracked open hip-hop's shell, making space for real talk.

Even Eminem reflects on putting his life into lyrics, "I was an open book, and sometimes you want to be able to close that book."

Back in 2000, his track about a wild fan gave us the hit "stan." What started as a warning turned into pride for superfans. Yet those in the film know better than to copy the character's wild ways.