For seven years, fans have watched Linkin Park’s next chapter unfold from the outside. Now, Joe Hahn says the band are finally ready to share what really happened.
Speaking about the upcoming documentary LINKIN PARK: UNSHATTER, the band’s DJ and director revealed that the film was created to tell the full story behind Linkin Park’s return, rather than leaving fans to piece it together through rumours, headlines and speculation. The documentary arrives in cinemas worldwide from September 30th, with tickets going on sale on August 13th.
According to Hahn, UNSHATTER wasn’t originally planned as a documentary at all. The project began with the intention of filming the band’s 2024 show in São Paulo, but as cameras continued rolling, it became clear that a much bigger story was unfolding.
“After seven years away, we honestly didn’t know what the future of Linkin Park looked like,” Hahn explained. “We were figuring it out as we went. None of us knew if the band would evolve the way it did, how fans would respond, or where any of it was leading.”
Rather than looking back with the benefit of hindsight, Hahn wanted viewers to experience that uncertainty alongside the band.
He also explained that directing the film as both a filmmaker and a member of Linkin Park brought a unique responsibility.
“I’ve lived this story from the inside, so I had a perspective that only a bandmate and a friend could have. That also came with a responsibility to be honest. It would have been easy to tell the version people expected or the version built from headlines and interviews, but that was never the goal.”
Hahn says the film is ultimately about far more than the band’s comeback. Inspired by the idea that something can be broken, rebuilt and still carry its scars, UNSHATTER explores themes of loss, friendship, creativity and reinvention, while documenting how Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain helped shape Linkin Park’s new era without leaving the past behind.
More than anything, Hahn says the documentary is a thank you to the fans.
“It’s our chance to share the whole story instead of having people piece it together through speculation or bits and pieces over the years. I hope longtime fans see parts of our journey they’ve never seen before, and I hope people who are just discovering the band come away with a better understanding of how we got here.”
Alongside the film, Linkin Park will release UNSHATTER (Live in São Paulo) on September 25th, with “Somewhere I Belong (Live in São Paulo)” available now. The documentary arrives in cinemas worldwide on September 30th in 2D, SCREENX and 4DX formats.
