Metallica frontman James Hetfield is set to star alongside Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones) and Juliette Lewis (Natual Born Killers) in the dark western thriller The Thicket for the streaming service Tubi.
The Thicket is based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Joe R. Lansdale. The story centers on a young man who enlists the help of a bounty hunter (played by Dinklage) to rescue his sister, who has been kidnapped by a violent killer (played by Lewis) and her gang.
Dinklage, who is also serving as producer, has been attached to the film for a decade. According to Deadline, production on the movie is finally underway in Calgary, Canada.
Among the other cast members are Esmé Creed-Miles (Hanna), Levon Hawke (The Crowded Room), Leslie Grace (In The Heights), Gbenga Akinnagbe (The Old Man), Macon Blair (I Care A Lot), Ned Dennehy (Peaky Blinders), Andrew Schulz (Infamous), and Arliss Howard (Mank).
“This elevated western thriller led by Peter Dinklage and an exceptionally talented team of artists delivers on genre expectations while adding so much more to make the journey into The Thicket unique and mesmerizing,” said Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson.
Hetfield previously appeared as Officer Bob Hayward in Netflix’s Ted Bundy movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile. His role in The Thicket has not yet been specified.
The casting comes at a busy time for Hetfield, who is gearing up for the release of Metallica’s long-awaited new album, 72 Seasons. The LP arrives on April 14th, and will be followed by a 2023-2024 world tour. Tickets for Metallica’s upcoming shows are available here.