Sony Music Vision is producing The Ballad of Judas Priest, a new documentary chronicling the legendary British heavy metal band’s 50+ year career. Co-directed by filmmaker Sam Dunn and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello (in his directorial debut), the film has no release date yet.
Rising from Birmingham’s working-class roots, Judas Priest helped define heavy metal, selling over 50 million records and releasing 19 albums — including 2024’s Invincible Shield, which made them the first metal band to release studio albums 50 years apart. This fall, they’ll co-headline a North American tour with Alice Cooper.
The doc’s title nods to Bob Dylan’s “The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest,” which inspired the band’s name.
In a statement, the band said, “We have lived and breathed metal for over five decades… now the cassock comes off, revealing Priest in all its metal glory!”
Morello and Dunn added, “This film will capture how Judas Priest defined the sound and look of metal — and helped make it a more inclusive place.”
The film is produced by Banger Films and executive produced by Morello, Sony Music Vision, and Epic Records.
Related topics:
