KIRK HAMMETT Says 'Casual Moviegoers' Weren't Motivated To See METALLICA's 'Through The Never' Film

In a brand new interview with Stereogum, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett spoke about the relative commercial failure of the band's IMAX 3D concert film, "Metallica Through The Never", and the movie's upcoming DVD release. Asked if he was happy with the way people responded to the film, Hammett replied: "I really, really thought that we made a really, really great movie."

He continued: "I'll be very blunt about it.

"We put so much time and so much effort and made sure it was exactly the way that we envisioned it.

"Our fans definitely went to movie theaters and saw the film, but the people that we were counting on to buy movie tickets — which was your casual moviegoer — they weren't as motivated to buy a ticket as our fans. For us, that was a big question mark. Why? We couldn't figure it out.

"We know we made a great movie and we felt good about it, but now it's time for us to move on to our next thing."

Hammett also confirmed that METALLICA will spend much of 2014 working on material for the follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic", which is not expected to arrive before next year.

"We definitely will be working on a new album," he said. "That's going to start in a couple of weeks — actually, the week before [Kirk's horror convention, dubbed Kirk Von Hammett's Fear FestEviL]. We're going to be working on the album. At one point, we're going to be doing some touring. We'll be doing a South American tour in March and probably a European tour in the summer. For the most part, though, we'll be working on the album and that's the main priority this year."

"Metallica Through The Never", directed by award-winning filmmaker Nimród Antal, will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, digitally, and V.O.D. (Video On Demand) on January 28 through Blackened Recordings. Formats will include a standard 2-disc package on DVD, Blu-ray, or 3D Blu-ray, as well as special expanded versions. The DVDs and Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray will include extensive behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film, including an 80-plus-minute "Making Of 'Metallica Through The Never'" documentary, various interviews with the cast and crew and never before seen METALLICA content. METALLICA fans will also be able to purchase a limited-edition deluxe package containing a piece of the actual stage used in the film, a lithograph print autographed by all four band members and more. The digital format will include the feature film, as well as the "Making Of 'Metallica Through The Never'" documentary.

For more information on each DVD format, visit www.metallica.com. The film will also be available for rental and download via V.O.D. on January 28 in the U.S., and at a later date in Canada.

International territories will release the film on DVD/VOD and digital platforms day and date with the U.S. or very shortly thereafter.

Picturehouse released "Metallica Through the Never" in North America on September 27, 2013. The film stars METALLICA, one of the most popular, influential rock bands in history. In the music-driven, 3D motion picture event, filmmaker Nimród Antal immerses audiences in a bracing, raw and visceral cinematic experience with spectacular live performance footage of METALLICA's most iconic songs — created exclusively for film — combined with a bold, narrative story featuring imagery drawn from the band's trailblazing iconography. Dane DeHaan portrays Trip, a young roadie sent on an urgent mission, during the METALLICA's roaring live set in front of a sold-out arena. The film features dazzling pyrotechnics, the most elaborate live-performance stage ever built, state-of-the-art 3D photography captured on up to 24 cameras simultaneously and pioneering and innovative sound mixing utilizing a celebrated and award-winning audio team from both the film and music worlds.

"Metallica Through The Never" took in just $3.4 million at the U.S. box office in four weeks of release after costing $18 million to make, with the band putting up all the money for the project. (Note: According to BoxOffice.com, "Metallica Through The Never" has grossed more than $21 million worldwide.)

The band filmed the bulk of the movie at two concerts in Vancouver in the summer of 2012, using a $5 million stage show specially constructed for the production.

In order for "Metallica Through The Never" to be profitable, it has to make at least double its production and marketing budget back at the box office, since theater owners take up to half of the money from tickets. So the movie would have to earn $36 million to break even.