A new documentary is in the works about the legendary U.K. heavy metal band Judas Priest. The film, titled The Ballad of Judas Priest, will mark the directorial debut of Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who is co-directing the movie with Sam Dunn of the Banger Films production company.
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According to a press release, the documentary will celebrate Judas Priest’s “lasting impact on music and culture with their influence reaching far beyond metal.”
Expect the film to delve deeply into the influential group’s 50-year-plus journey, from its members’ working-class beginnings in Birmingham, U.K., through its ascendance to the pinnacle of the hard-rock world and beyond. Among the many classic songs for which Judas Priest is famous are “Living After Midnight,” “”Breaking the Law,” “Heading Out to the Highway,” “Hot Rockin’,” and “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’.” In 2022, the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In addition to its triumphs, Judas Priest has experienced plenty of drama over the years, including frontman Rob Halford’s 11-year hiatus from the group, guitarist K. K. Downing’s 2011 exit from the band, and guitarist Glenn Tipton battle with Parkinson’s disease.
In a joint statement, Judas Priest’s current lineup 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. [T]he cassock comes off, revealing Priest in all its metal glory!”
Statement from Co-Directors Morello and Dunn
Morello and Dunn also issued their own joint statement about the project.
“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,” they 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.”
Like Judas Priest, Morello is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, having received the honor as a member of Rage Against the Machine in 2023.
Dunn co-owns Banger Films, which is producing The Ballad of Judas Priest. He has an impressive directorial resume.
Among the many other rock-themed documentaries Dunn has directed or co-directed are Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey, Iron Maiden: Flight 666, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, Super Duper Alice Cooper, ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band from Texas, and Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine.
Judas Priest’s 2025 Tour Plans
Earlier in May, Judas Priest finished a 2025 Latin American leg of its tour supporting its 2024 album, Invincible Shield.
The Metal Gods are now set to launch a trek dubbed the “Shield of Pain” tour, which will begin with a lengthy European leg. The outing kicks off June 12 in Turku, Finland, and wraps up on July 25 at The O2 arena in London.
Then, in September, Judas Priest will team up with Alice Cooper for a North American co-headlining trek. The tour leg, which will visit 22 cities, kicks off September 16 in Biloxi, Mississippi, and runs through an October 26 performance in the Houston suburb of The Woodlands, Texas.
Veteran heavy metal band Corrosion of Conformity will serve as opening act on select dates during the tour.
(Photo by Andy “Elvis” McGovern)
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