Metallica in 3D – yes, it’s coming soon to a theater near you.
The group just announced they’ve brought in Predators director Nimród Antal to direct their 3D feature film. According to Metallica, the film will star all five members of the group (and their fans) and will be a “marriage of narrative and concert.” Filming’s expected to begin in August with an eye on a summer 2013 release.
“I’ve been a fan of Nimród’s since his first Hungarian film, Kontroll, showed up at Cannes in 2004 and blew everybody away,” stated Metallica’s Lars Ulrich. “I’ve watched with excitement his career in Hollywood blossom over the last few years. Within five minutes of meeting him I was addicted to his enthusiasm, his take on the creative process and his ‘thinking outside of the box’ personality. Let’s get on with it!!!”
“Metallica has always been a huge part of my life, and it’s an incredible opportunity when we get to work with our heroes,” said Antal. “We are going to harness the powerful and almighty energy of Metallica’s live shows, inject a narrative into it, and shoot it in 3D to elevate the entire experience.”
In addition to Kontroll and Predators, Antal’s directing credits include Vacancy with Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson and Armored starring Matt Dillon and Laurence Fishburne.
The Basics on Metallica [Courtesy of the group]:
Formed in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, Metallica (www.metallica.com) has become one of the most influential and commercially successful rock bands in history, having sold 100 million albums worldwide and playing to millions of fans the world over. They have scored almost a dozen multi-platinum albums, including 1991’s Metallica (commonly referred to as “The Black Album”), which is the bestselling album in the history of Soundscan scanning almost 15.7 million albums in the United States alone, and over 28 million worldwide. In October 2008, their latest album, Death Magnetic, debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and in 27 additional countries around the world. It was certified platinum in the United States just six weeks later.
Metallica has also garnered numerous awards and accolades, including nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, and multiple MTV Video Music Awards. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2009. In December 2011, Metallica celebrated its 30th anniversary, performing four shows at the Fillmore Theatre in San Francisco, CA, exclusively for members of their fan club, the Metallica Club. They released the Beyond Magnetic EP via digital retailers on December 13, 2011 after giving the songs away to their fan club members. A CD version of the Beyond Magnetic EP was released on January 31, 2012. Metallica recently announced the creation of Orion Music + More, a two day festival that will take place in Atlantic City, NJ June 23-24, 2012.
