Paul Di’Anno’s story is unlike anything heavy metal has produced. Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer, directed by Wes Orshoski and released by Cleopatra Entertainment, arrives this summer, a raw and intimate documentary chronicling the final chapter of the man who helped launch one of metal’s greatest bands.
Orshoski, whose previous credits include the acclaimed Lemmy documentary and The Damned: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead, began shooting in 2017. The film follows two Iron Maiden fans who encounter Di’Anno at the lowest point of his life, launch a crowdfunding campaign, and ultimately relocate him to Croatia, where doctors help him stage a dramatic health recovery. It ends with a heroic return to the stage.
The film features appearances by Metallica’s James Hetfield, Kiss’s Gene Simmons, Maiden’s Steve Harris, and members of Exodus, Slayer, Megadeth, Overkill, and Sepultura. That roster alone signals the depth of Di’Anno’s impact on heavy metal. Shot across England, Croatia, Brazil, and the United States, the documentary captures something rarely seen in the rock doc format: a genuine second act, fought for and earned.
Di’Anno appeared on two of the most foundational albums in metal history, Iron Maiden’s 1980 self-titled debut and the follow-up ‘Killers’, released in 1981. His departure that same year, and replacement by Bruce Dickinson, sparked a debate among metal fans that has never stopped.
Orshoski completed the film shortly before Di’Anno passed away at 66 in October 2023. Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer has screened at European film festivals and arrives worldwide on streaming, Blu-ray, and DVD this summer.