First Look – James Hetfield Plays a Sheriff in ‘The Thicket’

Metallica frontman James Hetfield plays a sheriff in the upcoming western film The Thicket, and a first look at his character was shared online in late June.

The movie, directed by Elliott Lester, is based on the 2013 mystery novel of the same name by Joe R. Lansdale. Hetfield is part of the star-studded cast, which also features Peter Dinklage (Game of Thrones), Juliette Lewis (Yellowjackets), comedian Andrew Schulz and some others.

When we first reported on Hetfield’s casting in the film in March of 2023, his role was unspecified. And while we still don’t have a name for his character, the first look, shared by Tubi in late June, suggests that he’s some sort of sheriff.

Funny enough, he also played a Utah police officer named Bob Hayward in the 2019 Ted Bundy film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which starred Zac Efron. The Thicket seems to be the second film Hetfield appears in where he doesn’t play himself.

READ MORE: James Hetfield + Rob Halford Rock Out to Younger Band at Festival

According to a synopsis on GoodReads, The Thicket takes place in Texas in the early 1900s, when smallpox was as big of a concern as being robbed by gunslinging bandits. The plot is about a man named Jack Parker, who sets out to rescue his sister Lula, who was kidnapped by said bandits.

See the first look at Hetfield in The Thicket below. The movie is set to come out in U.S theaters in early September. IMDb notes that it’s rated R.