With ‘Anvil!: The Story Of Anvil’ Re-Release, Band & Director Sacha Gervasi Enjoy Encore

deadline.com:

Last Thursday, a stone’s throw from the former headquarters of Larry Flynt’s Hustler empire, a trove of thirsty teenage influencers, A-listers such as Dustin Hoffman and rock stars including Muse’s Matt Bellamy were queueing up to walk the red carpet at a movie premiere.This wasn’t, however, the latest Marvel launch or an Oscar-bait opening.

It was the re-release of a 13-year-old music documentary about a previously relatively unknown heavy metal band from Canada.Anvil!: The Story of Anvil, a tale of hope and heavy metal, has been having quite the encore.The film, directed by Sacha Gervasi, has been re-released by Utopia for a new generation of kids that seem willing to get in the pit for its heartwarming message: never give up.‘Railway Children,’ Anvil, Abigail Disney & ‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’ – Specialty Preview“It’s chaotic magic,” Gervasi tells Deadline the morning after the LA premiere that included a live performance from the band.The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2008, tells the story of Canadian metallers Anvil, who influenced the likes of Metallica and Guns N Roses but never quite got their dues.However, despite slogging away with day jobs in catering and construction, founders Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner never quit.

Even after setback after setback, as documented in the film, the group’s often comical willingness to keep going in the face of disappointment eventually led to success.After the film was released, Anvil went on tour with AC/DC and appeared on The Tonight Show. “To this day, 15 years after we started making the film, the band has never had to do another day job ever again,” says Gervasi. “It’s changed all of our lives.”It was not, however, as easy as it sounds.‘