ComingSoon is debuting an exclusive trailer for Tarpon, a long-lost cult classic documentary about fly-fishing, which features original music by Buffett, who was an up-and-coming singer at the time the movie was made. The film also documents Key West in the early 1970s, which served as the inspiration behind legendary musician Jimmy Buffett‘s iconic song “Margaritaville.”
“Considered one of the first true fly-fishing films, Tarpon brings together famed American authors Richard Brautigan, Tom McGuane, and Jim Harrison with legendary flats guides Woody Sexton, Gil Drake, and Steve Huff as they muse about life, art, nature, and fishing the majestic Tarpon,” reads the official synopsis. “Shot in the wild panorama of 1970s Key West, the tarpon fishing and stunning cinematography transports the viewer to another era – a time and place where the line between philosopher, scoundrel, hippie, and eccentric was nearly indiscernible.”
Check out the Tarpon trailer below (watch more trailers):
When is the Tarpon 4K release date?
The newly restored 4K version of Tarpon will be available to rent or own on digital platforms starting on March 28, 2025. This marks the first time that the movie will be available to audiences in HD, after its negatives were rescued from a barn in Normandy in 2008. The documentary features American authors Richard Brautigan, Thomas McGuane, and Jim Harrison, with the latter narrating from his own text.
“Tarpon is a gem and, frankly, a window on better days,” McGuane said in a statement. “Without a profound respect for tarpon, this celebration of their majestic power and the enchantment of their pursuit, could never have been made. Tarpon fishing was and is a dream, and this may be the only time it’s been captured.”
Harrison added, “I believe that Tarpon is the best film ever made that concerns itself with fishing.”
The 1973 documentary was directed by Christian Odasso and Guy de la Valdene, with Odasso also serving as a cinematographer. The film was also edited by Marie-Sophie Dubus. It currently has a total runtime of 54 minutes.
“Tarpon is a timeless and beautifully executed film about life, sport and culture. You’ll be moved, amused, outraged and, most of all, entertained,” author and journalist Tom Brokaw said.
Journalist Carl Hiaasen added, “This long-lost gem of a film has acquired cult status in the fly-fishing world, and with good reason. It has the most breathtaking footage of the tarpon-stalking experience that you’ll ever see. Like the fish itself, this is a work of art.”
