If you’ve ever sat behind a drum kit and tried to figure out what Rush‘s Neil Peart was doing, you’re not alone. Now, you’re going to get a chance to see the man behind all those impossible fills, intricate lyrics and legendary performances in a new documentary coming to the Toronto International Film Festival!
Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple will receive its world premiere at TIFF on September 16, with a public screening following on September 19. The 96-minute film will also air on CBC on September 23 as part of The Passionate Eye.
Directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, who previously made the 2010 Rush documentary Beyond The Lighted Stage, the film follows Peart from his tough start as a young artist through his meteoric rise.
And this isn’t simply a look back at old footage. The documentary includes interviews with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, along with reflections from four acclaimed drummers: Stewart Copeland, Danny Carey, Chad Smith and Gavin Harrison.
Lee and Lifeson also perform new live versions of Rush classics, with those four drummers taking turns behind the kit in Peart’s place.
TIFF describes the film as “an exhilarating and poignant tribute” to the late Rush legend.
Peart died on January 7, 2020, in Santa Monica, California, following a three-year battle with glioblastoma. He was 67. Rush announced his passing three days later, sending shockwaves through the music world and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians.
But there was something Peart wanted kept private until the end.
In 2022, Lee revealed that Peart did not want anyone to know about his cancer diagnosis.
“He wanted to keep it in the house. And we did. And that was hard. I can’t tell you it was easy, ’cause it was not easy.”
Peart had initially been given 18 months at most, Lee said, but lived for three and a half years after his diagnosis. Lee and Lifeson continued visiting and supporting their friend while protecting his wishes.
That meant deflecting questions from fans and dealing with the strange reality of grieving someone while he was still alive.
“So that feels, on one hand, it feels dishonest, but on the other hand you’re being loyal to your friend,” Lee said. “So fuck the dishonesty part. That wins.”
Lee described that period as “the most difficult time for us to move forward” and said they were “in this bubble of grief sort of walking towards an inevitable and terrible conclusion.”
Now Rush is moving forward again.
Lee and Lifeson are currently on the road with German drummer Anika Nilles and keyboardist Loren Gold as part of the Fifty Something tour, marking Rush’s first tour with the revamped lineup.
The June 7 show at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum kicked off the tour, which includes stops across Canada, the United States and Mexico. The “evening with” shows feature two sets each night, with Rush building each setlist from around 40 songs spanning greatest hits and fan favourites.
And there’s a reason you’re seeing Rush back onstage while also getting a new film about Peart. His absence remains an enormous part of the band’s story, even as Lee and Lifeson continue writing the next chapter.
Neil Peart: No One’s Disciple gives fans another opportunity to step inside that story — not just to hear about the drummer, but to revisit the journey of the man who sat behind the kit.
The 2026 Toronto International Film Festival runs from September 10 through September 20.
What part of Neil Peart’s story are you most looking forward to seeing in No One’s Disciple?
