Director Wes Orshoski has opened up about the making of his documentary on the late Paul Di’Anno. He revealed that Iron Maiden’s current members declined to take part in the project, according to Billboard.
The remarks came in response to a question about whether Orshoski had been in contact with the Iron Maiden camp during production of Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer.
When asked, “Were you in touch with the Iron Maiden camp during the process?”, Orshoski addressed the band’s absence directly.
“The very first thing I did after signing a contract with Cleopatra was call Iron Maiden management,” he said. “Maiden manager Rod Smallwood was very kind, but immediately told me that neither he or any of the current band members would be participating.”
“Obviously, it was a massive bummer, but not unexpected. In the end, though, I’m very happy to say that Steve Harris and the rest of the guys do appear in the film.”
Orshoski also reflected on his years filming Di’Anno and the complex nature of their working relationship.
“I filmed with Paul on and off from 2017 to 2023,” he said. “Paul could be an absolute sweetheart, a lovely man, and he could be an absolute demon. I tried to show both sides in the film. I enjoyed being around the easy-joking funny guy quite a lot. When he was in a great mood, he could be super fun and a blast. Zero ego. But when the Mr. Hyde side of him reared his head, it could be ugly for everyone within earshot. And he was sort of unapologetic about that nastiness. That said, several times I would see him blow up and then I would notice that he would almost immediately feel awful about it.”
The director also offered context for Di’Anno’s difficult moments, pointing to the personal hardships he was enduring throughout the filming process.
“You have to understand, I was filming him during some of the worst times in his life,” Orshoski said. “I mean, imagine where your mental health would be if stuck in a wheelchair going on almost a decade, and desperately trying to put your life back together and you have a camera on you. I know I for one could not endure that. So I try to keep that in mind when thinking back on the darker moments.”
Orshoski also described a particularly candid moment that led to personal growth and an eventual apology to Di’Anno.
“To be honest with you, I grew a lot from working with Paul,” he said. “After the film had dragged on for a few years, I remember filming him in his care center in Croatia, and on this particular day we really got into it with the camera rolling, just yelling at each other. I watched it a few years later with a different sort of perspective and realized he was absolutely right about everything he was barking at me about. I called him up to apologize.”
Paul Di’Anno, Iron Maiden’s original vocalist, passed away before the documentary’s release. Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer stands as one of the final in-depth records of his life and legacy.
The documentary captures a figure whose place in heavy metal history is both foundational and often overlooked. Di’Anno’s story — marked by early stardom, personal struggles, and a long battle with declining health — forms the emotional core of Orshoski’s film. The film has been screening at European film festivals ahead of its wider release.
Di’Anno served as Iron Maiden’s lead vocalist from 1978 to 1981, lending his voice to the band’s first two studio albums, Iron Maiden (1980) and Killers (1981), as noted by Wikipedia. His final performance with the band took place on September 10, 1981, in Copenhagen. That show marked the end of an era that helped lay the groundwork for one of heavy metal’s most enduring legacies.
Di’Anno’s later years were defined by serious health challenges. As Wikipedia reported, he was already wheelchair-bound when he appeared alongside The Iron Maidens in 2017 — the same year Orshoski began filming. His condition worsened over time. Cleopatra Records noted that his health nosedived further during the COVID-19 pandemic. A crowdfunding effort by two devoted fans eventually helped him relocate to Croatia, where he received medical care and experienced what was described as a dramatic turnaround. That care center later became the setting for some of the documentary’s most raw and personal moments.
Di’Anno passed away on October 21, 2024, at the age of 66. Wikipedia reported that Iron Maiden paid tribute to their original frontman following his death, acknowledging his role in shaping the band’s early identity. The documentary had been in production for years before his passing. It now serves as both a portrait of the man and a tribute to his enduring impact on the genre.
Di’Anno: Iron Maiden’s Lost Singer is set for release in North America. Loudwire reported that the film will be available on VOD and DVD/Blu-ray, bringing Di’Anno’s story to a wider audience for the first time. For fans of early Iron Maiden and heavy metal history, the film offers a rare and unfiltered look at the man behind some of the genre’s most iconic recordings.
