Comic-Con: Metallica to Play Secret San Diego Show

Among the zealous cosplayers and Joss Whedon fans, rock legends will be found walking the grounds of the San Diego Convention Center at this year's Comic-Con.

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Metallica will attend Comic-Con to promote its new feature film, Metallica Through the Never, which combines 3D footage of live performances with a narrative story featuring Dane DeHaan as a young roadie sent on an urgent mission during Metallica’s roaring live set in front of a sold-out arena.

On Friday, July 19 at 6:30 p.m., all four members of Metallica -- James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo -- will be present at a Hall H panel to discuss the upcoming film alongside DeHaan and writer-director Nimrod Antal.

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Panel attendees will have the chance to win tickets and learn the location of an intimate live Metallica performance that will take place at a secret location somewhere in San Diego. The performance will take place later on that evening.

Metallica Through the Never has a North America Imax 3D release date of Sept. 27 and will expand into additional theaters Oct. 4.

Comic-Con runs July 17-21 in San Diego.

Comic-Con's Most Unexpected Guests: Metallica?!?

Throughout its 40-plus year history, San Diego Comic-Con has become known for being the convention that can get guests that you just wouldn't find at other conventions, whether its classic comic creators like Charles Schulz or massive movie directors like Steven Spielberg. This year, however, Comic-Con is going one better in the "unexpected guest" direction, by giving Metallica their own hour-long Friday afternoon panel. Yes, that Metallica.

Somewhat surreally, the entire band -- James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo -- will be on stage in Hall H at 6:30pm on the Friday of the show to promote their upcoming movie Metallica Through the Never. Alongside the movie's director and writer Nimrod Antal and producer Charlotte Huggins, the band will introduce the world premiere of the movie's theatrical trailer and poster, as well as screen never-before-seen footage from the 3D mix of the concert movie and traditional narrative.

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(Sadly, the band aren't the main characters in the narrative part of the movie; actor Dane DeHaan plays "Trip," a roadie for the band who ends up in the middle of a "surreal adventure" as he tries to do his job. For those eager to see how Hetfield, Ulrich et al acquit themselves as actors, the band do make appearances as "themselves," however.)

Comic-Con is hardly a stranger to appearances from rock musicians, although normally they end up at the show after their heyday as heavy metal masters. Gene Simmons, for example, has appeared at the show more than once to promote not only KISS-related merchandise, but also his own line of comic books. Similarly, Danzig's Glenn Danzig has also shown up to promote his own comic book career.

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This, though, feels like something new: a Comic-Con panel for a band still at the height of their commercial powers. Could this be the start of a new trend? Should we be expecting Kanye West to show up next year? Comic book fans already complain that the movie industry has co-opted "their" convention. Could the music industry be next?