Metallica’s James Hetfield To Make Acting Debut In Ted Bundy Biopic

Deadline reports that Metallica singer James Hetfield is set to make his acting debut in the Ted Bundy movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile. The film is currently in production. It stars Zac Efron as Bundy.

Hetfield will play Officer Bob Hayward, described as a “no-nonsense Utah highway patrol veteran.” Hayward was the first one to arrest Bundy in 1975 after pulling him over and finding burglary tools in his car, suspecting something worse. Hetfield previously played himself in movies and TV shows, but this is his first time playing an actual character.

Joe Berlinger will direct, reuniting with Hetfield after the documentary Metallica: Some Kind of Monster, which he produced and directed with Bruce Sinofsky. He also wrote a book about the band called Metallica: This Monster Lives. Extremely Wicked also stars Lily Collins, John Malkovich, Jim Parsons, Haley Joel Osment, Kaya Scodelario, Angela Sarafyan, Jeffrey Donovan, Terry Kinney, and Dylan Baker.

Berlinger said: “Having spent hundreds of hours behind the scenes with James and the rest of Metallica, I have experienced his charisma and powerful presence close up. It seemed only natural that he would bring that same power and magnetism to a dramatic role, so when he agreed to my pitch that he be in the movie, I was thrilled.”

The script was written by Michael Werwie. Ara Keshishian and Nicolas Chartier will produce for Voltage Pictures, with Michael Costigan producing for COTA Entertainment and Michael Simkin for Efron’s Ninjas Runnin Wild Productions. Jonathan Deckter and Ninjas Runnin Wild’s Jason Barrett are the executive producers.