Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson is co-writing a screenplay based on the legendary gig he and his Skunkworks band members played in Sarajevo in 1994 at the height of the Bosnian War.
Dickinson is joining forces with director, writer and executive producer: Sacha Gervasi, to write a screenplay based on his solo gig during the Siege of Sarajevo. Bruce said on the extraordinary performance: “The gig was immense, intense and probably the biggest show in the world at that moment for the audience and for us. That the world didn’t really know didn’t matter. It changed the way I viewed life, death and other human beings.”
United Nations soldiers guarded the metal musician and his Skunkworks bandmates as they were smuggled into Sarajevo in December 1994 to offer not just musical entertainment but also a form of respite to civilians living amidst an ongoing siege. The city was under fire from the Army of Republika Srpska (Bosnian Serb Army) from 5 April 1992 to 29 February 1996, amassing to 1425 days at the height of the Bosnian War, with more than 11,000 people killed. It is reported that United Nations negotiator Trevor Gibson initially set out to book The Rolling Stones to play for the civilians caught amidst the ongoing battle; however, he instead persuaded Dickinson and the Skunkworks group to enter war-torn Sarajevo. Dickinson would go on to receive honorary citizenship by the city in 2019 as recognition of his 1994 visit.
Co-writer Sacha Gervasi said on the upcoming screenplay: “I first met Bruce Dickinson as a 15-year-old Maiden fan in London in 1982. Now, nearly 40 years later, to be co-writing this extraordinarily intense and personal story with Bruce himself is a genuine and unexpected honour. The real story of the kids and local musicians who attended that show is as poignant as it is inspiring. Many of them didn’t make it. As Bruce has already said, we hope this film will be a tribute to them.”
The screenplay is not the first film to portray the Iron Maiden vocalist’s performance in Sarajevo. In 2018, a documentary ‘Scream For Sarajevo’ was premiered across UK cinemas, featuring footage from the performance and exclusive interviews of those who made it happen. Sacha Gervasi and Bruce Dickinson have said the upcoming film will be different in style, as it is confirmed to be a narrative screenplay.
In other news, Bruce Dickson has recently announced a solo spoken word UK tour across six dates and is set to break down the fourth wall. In a two-act performance, Dickinson will deliver anecdotal tales and engage in a live Q&A.
