Ronnie James Dio documentary begins filming

The metal legend’s wife and long-term manager, Wendy Dio, has previously revealed that the documentary will focus on Dio’s early life and his entire fabled music career - from his fledgling days with Elf through to his final project Heaven & Hell.

In a fresh interview with The Metal Voice, Wendy says that shooting began last week when interviews were conducted with herself, members of Dio’s crew and his best friend in Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell, Geezer Butler.

"We just started shooting," she said (via Blabbermouth). "We did interviews last week — a few with me, with some technical people, with Geezer Butler, and we will continue that in between the ('Dio Returns' hologram) tour, we'll continue on with that. And then, hopefully, that should be out by next year. Probably latter part of next year.”

She continued: "We started with Geezer Butler, who's obviously Ronnie's best friend from Black Sabbath and I think we'll probably do some of the (Dio)band while we are on tour.

“And other people — all the people close to Ronnie, people that played with Ronnie or were influenced by Ronnie and also his childhood years and going all the way through his time with Elf, with Rainbow, with Black Sabbath. 

“I have so much footage — stuff that people have never seen. I've got some Super 8 stuff. I found a whole huge box of stuff — stuff from his childhood, stuff from the Rainbow days, behind-the-scenes stuff. I'm getting it now transferred, so that we can actually view it.”

Asked if she would ever turn Dio’s life into a movie biopic like Bohemian Rhapsody, The Dirt and Rocketman, Wendy replied: "No, I don't wanna do a biopic. Nobody could play Ronnie, I don't think. I don't think so. I'd like to do a straightforward documentary of Ronnie's life, with lots of footage of Ronnie.

“I've got so many interviews that Ronnie did and so much stuff that I'd really like to just keep it very, very natural."

Ronnie James Dio died from stomach cancer just over nine years ago on 16th May 2010. He was 67 years old.

Featuring a revamped hologram of Dio, the new North American Dio Returns hologram tour kicks off at the Barbara B Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers, Floriday tonight (31st May).

Here’s the trailer for the tour: