“The Ballad of Judas Priest,” a new documentary about the legendary British heavy metal band and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, is due from Sony Music Vision. No release date has been announced for the film, which is co-directed by documentary filmmaker Sam Dunn and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello in his directorial debut.
Rising from humble, working-class roots in Birmingham, UK, to become global rock legends, Judas Priest are one of the true pioneers of heavy metal. The band has sold more than 50 million records and released 19 studio albums across their 50-plus years as a band. With their 2024 album “Invincible Shield,” the band became the first heavy metal band to release studio albums 50 years apart. This fall, they will be joined by Alice Cooper for a co-headlining tour across 22 North American cities.
The doc’s title echoes the inspiration for the band’s name, Bob Dylan’s 1967 song “The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest.”
In a collective statement, the bandmembers said, “We have lived and breathed metal for over five decades, and finally in this documentary we are summoning our congregation to officially witness our lives uncensored, in a never-before-seen way…the cassock comes off, revealing Priest in all its metal glory!”
“While some may know Judas Priest for their huge hits that have shaped the heavy metal genre, there is so much more to their story,” co-directors Morello and Dunn said. “Tracing their incredible 50-year journey, this film will capture how Judas Priest both defined the sound and look of metal, but also made it a more inclusive place along the way. We are grateful to the band for allowing us such intimate, unfiltered access to their lives and look forward to bringing this film to the metal masses around the world.”
The documentary is a production of Banger Films and directed by Sam Dunn and Tom Morello. Producers include Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. It is executive produced by Tom Morello, Rick Krim, Sheila Stepanek, and Jayne Andrews. Tom Mackay, Krista Wegener and Abby Davis serve as executive producers for Sony Music Vision. Sylvia Rhone is executive producer for Epic Records. The film is presented and distributed by Sony Music Vision.
