IRON MAIDEN's BRUCE DICKINSON On 'Burning Ambition' Documentary: 'We Didn't Want To Be Involved In It In Terms Of Editorial'

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson spoke about the band's upcoming feature documentary, titled "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition", which will hit theaters for a limited time only beginning May 7, 2026. The film is said to trace the British heavy metal legends' "remarkable five‑decade journey" with "unprecedented access" to the band's official archives.

Bruce told Heavy: "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. [Laughs] 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."

During the same chat, Dickinson reflected on how he became the fourth singer to front IRON MAIDEN, after Paul Mario Day, Dennis Wilcock and Paul Di'Anno. Prior to joining MAIDEN in 1981, Dickinson spent two years as lead vocalist with SAMSON, another band that rose from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal.

"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," Bruce 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. [Laughs] If it really sucks, it never happened. [Laughs] "

Alongside the band, "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" features on‑camera reflections from prominent admirers, including Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, each speaking to MAIDEN's influence on music, culture and generations of fans worldwide.

Directed by Malcolm Venville ("Churchill At War") and produced by Dominic Freeman ("Spirits In The Forest - A Depeche Mode Film"),the "electrifying film offers an intimate look at [MAIDEN's] uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their global army of fans," according to a press release.

Spanish illustrator Alberto "Akirant" Quirantes contributes newly created key art, following his work on IRON MAIDEN's 50th-anniversary coin for the Royal Mint, which was released to celebrate the band's milestone in 2025.

During an April 13 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris was asked why now was the right time to tell the MAIDEN story in film form. Harris said: "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 aboutIRON MAIDEN, not byIRON 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."

Harris added: "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."

Asked by "Trunk Nation" host Eddie Trunk if "Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition" covers the overall history of the band, Harris said: "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."

Formed in East London in 1975, IRON MAIDEN have grown into one of the world's most influential and enduring rock bands. Across 50 years they have released 17 studio albums, sold over 100 million records, and performed almost 2,500 concerts across 64 countries.

The documentary arrives as the band continues its two-year "Run For Your Lives" world tour, which included a triumphant homecoming performance at London Stadium a short distance from where it all began five decades ago.

A recently announced, one-of-a-kind, celebration named EddFest in historic Knebworth Park, England, on July 11 forms part of over 50 shows worldwide in 2026.

IRON MAIDEN was founded in 1975 by Harris and has grown to become one of the world's most celebrated bands. With a steady recording output beginning with their self-titled 1980 debut, they have released 17 studio albums, 13 live albums and 47 singles which have sold in excess of 100 million copies worldwide. They have played almost 2,500 live shows across 64 countries and were carried to some of these aboard Ed Force One, a Boeing 757 and then later a 747 piloted by Dickinson. They have been the recipients of a Grammy Award and a Brit Award, among many other accolades, most recently joining THE ROLLING STONES and PINK FLOYD with their very own Royal Mail stamp set. Their beer, Trooper Beer, is now in its thirteenth year and has sold in excess of 40 million pints and is distributed in 68 countries, including six local variants in USA, Germany, Brazil, Spain, Sweden and Australia. 2025 marked the band's official 50th year and is being celebrated by a two-year world tour titled "Run For Your Lives" and a range of events and products including their first-ever official hardcover visual history book, "Infinite Dreams".