• Trailer

  • About the Film

    Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz explores the rise, impact, and enduring mythology of Aziz Shavershian – “Zyzz” – the unlikely internet icon whose transformation from anonymous teenager to global symbol of fitness culture reshaped how a generation defines influencers, identity, and self-invention.

    In the late 2000s, before influencers became industry and self-branding became currency, a young Australian named Aziz Shavershian, known online as Zyzz, began documenting his transformation from awkward teenager to sculpted, hyper-confident persona. What followed was viral fame and the creation of a cultural movement still felt to this day.

    Through early internet forums, gym culture, and raw, self-made videos, Zyzz became the face of “aesthetics”, a philosophy built around transformation, confidence, irony, and escape. To millions of young men around the world, he was not just a bodybuilder or entertainer; he was proof that identity could be rewritten.

    Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz traces the origins of that phenomenon and its aftermath, weaving together never-before-seen archival material, intimate testimonies from friends, family, and inner-circle contributors, and a cultural deep dive into the world that formed, and ultimately consumed, its icon.

    For the first time, the film also revisits the final chapter of Zyzz’s life with care and revelation, offering a clear-eyed account of what actually happened, grounded in those closest to him, and framed within a broader reflection on legacy, mortality, and mythmaking in the digital age.

  • Screen Australia and Stan Present
    In Association with Minderoo Pictures, Screen NSW and VicScreen
    with investment from The ACT Government and Screen Canberra
    a MOFA and Olympia Pictures Production
    a film by Selina Miles

    “Poster Boy”

    Director of Photography Julian Pertout Editor Pete Ward Original Score Declan Harsent

    Impact Producer Jackie Turnure Executive Producers Nic Butler Dane Butler
    Llew Griffiths Nick Kelly Roi Kurland
    Tina Diaz Adrian Swift     and Malinda Wink
    Written by Tom Blackwell Selina Miles Harry Wynn
    Co-producer Laura Apelt Producers Anu Hasbold Claire Perkins
    Produced by Tom Blackwell Gal Greenspan Directed by Selina Miles

  • FAQs

    • In Australia, Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz premieres August 5, only on Stan. Internationally, the film will be available from August 7.

    • Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz is classified MA15+.The classification reflects the themes and content explored in the documentary. Parents and guardians should consider the classification and determine whether the documentary is suitable for younger viewers.

    • Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz features never-before-seen archival footage, private recordings, and previously unreleased information relating to the circumstances of Zyzz’s death. These materials provide unprecedented insight into both the public persona and private reality of Zyzz.

    • Zyzz’s brother Said ‘Chestbrah’ Shavershian is interviewed, alongside Zyzz’s close friends Paolo Cianci, Shahida Knez, Shaun Hunt, Phillip Raymond Host and George Mourgalakis.

    • Zyzz’s parents fully support the documentary and wish to see their son’s story told. Throughout filming, they have actively collaborated with the producers, facilitating access to key documentation surrounding his passing. After careful consideration, they made the decision not to participate on-camera. 

    • Poster Boy: Becoming Zyzz presents a complete and honest account of Zyzz’s life, including the decisions, pressures and consequences that shaped his story.

    • The documentary presents an authentic account of Zyzz’s life. Careful consideration was given to the content which features archival footage of Zyzz’s viewpoints prior to his passing. Rather than a celebration of any particular behaviour and defamatory language used in the documentary is editorially justified as it provides context to the narrative. To ensure viewer safety, prominent classification advice is displayed at the top of the screen, and a warning at the commencement of the documentary explicitly alerts viewers that the subject matter may be distressing.

    • Yes, throughout the filmmaking process, the film team consulted with different sector experts related to the themes of masculinity, mental health and drug use; including Man Cave, Equimondo, Movember, ReachOut, Lifeline and Our Watch.

  • Contact

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