13 years after its release, that film about Anvil is returning to cinemas

Lips from Anvil surrounded by fans at a club gig
(Image credit: Abramorama)

Anvil! The Story Of Anvil, the much-loved documentary about Canadian metal band Anvil, is to return to cinemas. The film, which features remastered sound and vision, will be shown at 200 theatres across The US on September 27. 

The theatre showing will also include an 18-minute epilogue interview with Anvil members Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner, plus director Sacha Gervasi. The interview is moderated by former MTV host Matt Pinfield. 

“Sorry, am I on magic mushrooms right now?” asks Gervasi. “Is this film really being released into theatres again? Someone please wake me!”

Following the screening on the September 27, the film will enjoy an extended theatrical run through October at AMC and Regal Cinemas. The film will also be available for digital pre-order on Apple+, Amazon Prime, Google Play and Vudu from the 27th. Meanwhile, the band will embark on a UK and Ireland tour on October 2 (full dates below).

Anvil! The Story of Anvil was originally released in 2009, and documents the relative rise and spectacular fall of a band who are considered by many to have played a formative role in the thrash metal movement. It's a poignant tale of relative success and savage reality, featuring interviews with Metallica’s Lars Ulrich, Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Motorhead’s Lemmy, Anthrax’s Scott Ian and Slayer’s Tom Araya, 

The film was considered by The Times to be "possibly the greatest film yet made about rock and roll". It also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming in 2010.  

In 2016, the band revealed that a sequel film was in the works, with Kudlow telling MetalTalk, “We’re not talking about it, because there’s no point, because it’s a long way off. The filming is about halfway through, and it’s not done yet. So what are we talking about? It’s gotta get done first."

A new trailer for Anvil! The Story of Anvil is below. Show times for the film screenings can be found on the Anvil film website. The band's most recent album, Impact Is Imminent, was released in May. 

Anvil UK & Ireland 2022 Tour Dates

Oct 01: Edinburgh Bannermans
Oct 02: Newcastle Trillions
Oct 03: Huddersfield The Parish
Oct 04: Chester The Live Rooms
Oct 06: Wolverhampton The Robin 2
Oct 07: Leeds The Key Club
Oct 08: Belfast Voodoo
Oct 09: Dublin Grans Social, Ireland
Oct 11: Nuneaton The Crew/Queens Hall
Oct 12: Norwich The Waterfront Studio
Oct 13: London O2 Islington
Oct 14: Machynlleth Red Lion
Oct 15: Swansea Sin City
Oct 16: Bridgewater The Cobblestones
Oct 18: Southampton The 1865
Oct 19: Bournemouth The Anvil
Oct 20: Hastings Crypt

Fraser Lewry

Online Editor at Louder/Classic Rock magazine since 2014. 38 years in music industry, online for 25. Also bylines for: Metal Hammer, Prog Magazine, The Word Magazine, The Guardian, The New Statesman, Saga, Music365. Former Head of Music at Xfm Radio, A&R at Fiction Records, early blogger, ex-roadie, published author. Once appeared in a Cure video dressed as a cowboy, and thinks any situation can be improved by the introduction of cats. Favourite Serbian trumpeter: Dejan Petrović.