James Hetfield Gets in a Gunfight in The Thicket Trailer
A couple weeks back we got our first glimpse of Metallica frontman James Hetfield donning his best lawman outfit in a frigid frontier for the upcoming movie The Thicket, but that was all we got — an image. Well earlier today, we got some short snippets of Papa Het in action, as the official trailer for the film was finally released.
As you can see in the trailer below, we now know that the man with the heaviest right hand in metal does in fact at least get to use his right hand to sling some metal in the film. We don’t get to hear him say any lines, but with his inclusion in the trailer, as well as his name in the main credits, I’m sure our guy’s going to have at least some shit to say before he either gets killed or something.
The movie was by online streaming platform Tubi Studios and was shot in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Hetfield’s starring in the movie alongside Levon Hawke, Esmé Creed-Miles, Juliette Lewis, Peter Dinklage, Gbenga Akinnagbe, and Leslie Grace.
The movie is actually an adaptation of and shares its name with the Joe R. Lansdale novel of the same name.
In the past, director Elliott Lester told Collider that he personally wanted the Metallica frontman in the movie.
“The casting of James Hetfield in ‘The Thicket’ is a story that feels almost destined. It all began with a dream — one morning I woke up with a clear vision that James had to be in the movie. James Hetfield, a Rock God, embodies a raw poetry that fit perfectly with the character we envisioned. From that moment, Peter Dinklage and I were relentless in our pursuit.
“We tried every possible avenue: his manager, mutual friends, anyone who could help us reach him. Our breakthrough came when writer/director Sacha Gervasi [‘Anvil! The Story Of Anvil’], who had a connection to James, stepped in. Despite our efforts, we were unsure if James would even consider the role. We sent him the script, along with a Hail Mary, and waited. To our delight, within days we heard that James was interested. The meeting that followed confirmed our hopes.
“James could not have been more humble. He revealed that he had always wanted to do a dark western, aligning perfectly with our film’s vision. From that point on, James was incredible. He was hard-working, diligent, and fully embraced his role with a passion that brought a unique intensity to the film. The journey with James has been extraordinary, and his presence truly elevates ‘The Thicket’ to a new level.”
The Thicket will be in theaters on September 6.
