Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith has shared his thoughts on the band's upcoming feature documentary, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition, set for a limited theatrical release on May 7, 2026.
Speaking with Brazil's KazagastĂŁo, Smith described his reaction to seeing the film: "Yeah, I have.
And I really enjoyed it, which might sound funny, but when there's something on a big screen about you, it can be a bit – you wanna hide behind the chairs." But he thinks it's a good document of the band, and fans will enjoy it.
There's a few things in there that have never come to light before, and it goes into depth on a few things.
Directed by Malcolm Venville (Churchill At War) and produced by Dominic Freeman (Spirits In The Forest – A Depeche Mode Film), the documentary charts Iron Maiden's five-decade evolution and includes on-camera reflections from high-profile admirers such as Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich, and Chuck D.
The band has also released a recently published hardback, Iron Maiden: Infinite Dreams – The Official Visual History, which was released globally in autumn 2025 to celebrate the band's first 50 years.
Smith reflected on the book, saying: "I love some of the old photos.
It's almost like a different life back in the '80s when I was in the band, a different person." He also praised Steve Harris for keeping his personal diary, which includes stories about the early days of the band.
When asked whether he and Bruce Dickinson helped take the band to another level when they joined, Smith credited Dickinson's professionalism and determination as pivotal: "Bruce definitely did, because as much as we love [former singer] Paul [Di'Anno], I don't think he had the same mindset as Bruce, the same determination to succeed, commitment." He also highlighted his own contributions as a songwriter: "A lot of the singles that we used, 'Flight Of Icarus' and 'Wasted Years' and stuff like that, were my ideas, my songs – '2 Minutes To Midnight' – co-writes, really.
So I feel like I hopefully contributed in that way."