Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has opened up about the band’s upcoming feature documentary, “Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition“, ahead of its limited theatrical release beginning on May 7, 2026.
In a new interview with Australia’s Heavy, the legendary vocalist explained why the heavy metal pioneers chose to relinquish editorial control for the project, which chronicles their extraordinary five-decade journey utilizing unprecedented access to the band’s official archives.
“When we knew there was going to be a documentary, the first thing was that we really didn’t want to be involved in it in terms of editorial or whatever. You have to have a hands-off approach, because you want somebody to look at it and tell the story. Obviously, there’s so many… this documentary could be ten hours long, but then everybody would lose the will to live. So you’ve got to make the story concise. There are going to be fans who say, ‘Oh, they missed out this and what about that’ — yeah, sure, but for people who don’t know the story of Iron Maiden, this is a great introduction to the band. Because of that, we wanted an external take on our career and you can’t really be fiddling about with that and going in every five minutes saying ‘change this’ or ‘I don’t like that’, ‘Oh, my hair looks messy in that picture.’ None of that crap. We’re not a bunch of poodles. It is a bit warts and all, but I think that’s great. There’s nothing in there that I would want to change,” Dickinson shared.
During the conversation, the singer also reflected on his early days and how he eventually became the group’s fourth lead vocalist, succeeding Paul Mario Day, Dennis Wilcock, and Paul Di’Anno. Before officially joining the lineup in 1981, he spent two years fronting Samson, a fellow act rising from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement.
“The first time I knew the band was going to be huge was when I was in a band called Samson and I saw Iron Maiden. Believe it or not, we were headlining, and Maiden was special guests,” he laughed. “I heard a lot of things about Maiden and I went to watch them and I went, ‘Oh my God, this is incredible. Wow.’ My next thought was, ‘I need to sing for those guys.’ What I wanted to do with my voice and what I heard them doing… if you could glue those things together, we could do something even better, that was my vibe. Then, when I did join the band, [Iron Maiden‘s] Number Of The Beast [album] happened and my first tryout with the band was in Italy, so that was my first-ever Iron Maiden show at Bologna in Italy and we had to wait three days to do it because we drove all the way from London. At the time we thought we would do the show in Italy because nobody would review it down there. If it really sucks, it never happened.”
Speaking with radio host Eddie Trunk during an April 13 appearance on SiriusXM‘s “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk“, Steve Harris also clarified that while the documentary focuses on the legendary heavy metal group, they did not actually produce or control the project.
“Well, in actual fact, it wasn’t us. It’s about us, but not by us. That’s the difference. So it’s a documentary, which they came to us with an idea that they wanted to do, and it changed a little bit from the original idea. They were gonna do it more about the fans, and it still is, to a certain degree. So, yeah, it’s not by us. They wanted to use our artwork and everything, and it seems like as if it’s our documentary. It’s not. I think they really should have put out that it’s a documentary Iron Maiden, not by Iron Maiden, because it’s not us. We didn’t have that control that we would normally have if we were doing it ourselves, of course,” he explained at the time.
Despite the lack of creative control, the band fully cooperated with the filmmakers.
“Yeah, we cooperated with it and we did interviews for it and all that stuff — we did what they wanted us to do — but if we’d have done it, I think we’d have done it in a slightly different way, and I’ll say no more. But I still think the end result is… Well, I’ll say no more because it preempts whatever. I think people should just go and see it and see what they think,” he added.
When asked by Eddie if the film serves as a comprehensive overview of the band’s 50-year career, the bassist confirmed its focus on their origins.
“Yeah, it’s historical stuff. There’s a lot of historical stuff for the first hour, probably, I suppose. So, yeah, I think people have gotta watch it and make their own minds up, really,” he concluded.
“Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition” promises an intimate look at the group’s uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their global fanbase. Directed by Malcolm Venville and produced by Dominic Freeman, the film features on-camera reflections from prominent admirers across the entertainment industry, including actor Javier Bardem, drummer Lars Ulrich, and rapper Chuck D, who all speak to the band’s massive cultural influence.
The visual presentation of the documentary is anchored by newly created key art from Spanish illustrator Alberto “Akirant” Quirantes, who previously designed the band’s commemorative 50th-anniversary coin for the Royal Mint in 2025.
Formed in East London in 1975, Iron Maiden has evolved into a global heavy metal institution. Over the course of 50 years, the band has sold over 100 million records, released 17 studio albums, and played nearly 2,500 concerts across 64 countries. The documentary’s release aligns seamlessly with their massive two-year “Run For Your Lives” world tour, which recently featured a triumphant homecoming performance at London Stadium, just a short distance from where their legacy began half a century ago.
