By Simona Mihalca 
Fifty years is a long time to do anything. For Iron Maiden, it means over 130 million albums sold, more than 2,000 shows played across the world, and a legacy that shaped generations of musicians from Metallica to Trivium. Now, all of that gets the documentary treatment.
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition arrives in cinemas worldwide on May 7, 2026, directed by Malcolm Venville and produced by Dominic Freeman, the team behind the Depeche Mode film Spirits in the Forest. The film charts the band’s rise from the pubs of East London to the world’s biggest stadiums, drawing on exclusive access to the official archives and reflections from both current and former band members.
What makes it more than a standard rock biography is the lineup of people talking about why Iron Maiden matter. Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich, Chuck D, Tom Morello, Gene Simmons, and Scott Ian all appear on camera. That’s a Javier Bardem Oscar winner discussing a heavy metal band from East London, which is either unexpected or makes complete sense depending on how you look at it.
There’s also a more poignant angle. The film includes what is described as Paul Di’Anno’s last interview, the original Iron Maiden vocalist who died in October 2024. It’s the kind of detail that turns a celebratory documentary into something with a bit more weight.
The band members themselves are heard but not seen on camera, with their voices laid over archival footage rather than the standard talking-head format. According to guitarist Adrian Smith, it’s a deliberately independent production with very little involvement from the Iron Maiden organization itself, which gives it a different feel from the usual band-approved retrospective.
The film also features newly animated sequences of Eddie, the band’s iconic zombie mascot who has appeared on every album cover since 1980. Whether you grew up with Iron Maiden or you’re discovering them now, Burning Ambition lands at the right moment: the band plays Arena Națională in Bucharest on May 28, three weeks after the film releases. Consider this your homework. Get your tickets now!