The art film company Picturehouse, which folded in 2008, will mark its return with the debut of an unusual combination of concert footage and scripted fantasy in “Metallica Through the Never” at next week’s Comic-Con in San Diego. The 3D IMAX film will be a loud re-introduction of the company as it looks to rebuild itself and make more films. Picturehouse is not generally known for music, but neither is Comic-Con.

The 3D Metallica movie is the opening release of the once defunct Picturehouse, which had previously released the critically acclaimed films, “La Vie en Rose” and “Pan’s Labyrinth.” The debut will include a live concert with the band.

The film was directed by Nimrod Antal, who directed action films “Predators” and “Armored,” and was written by the band Metallica. So a film with action, fantasy, the apocalypse, and heavy metal may have a place among the anticipated 125,000 attendees.

Comic-Con is the annual showcase of nearly everything related to superheroes, science fiction, fantasy, horror, animation, TV and movies, as well as comic books. Music, as a genre, is rare at the convention.

Music does not have its own presence other other than film scores or the random appearance of a band. When asked about music’s part of the convention’s 44 years, David Glanzer, Comic-Con’s director of marketing and public relations, recalled only a 2005 performance by Jack Black and Kyle Gass as the duo Tenacious D, notes The New York Times.

“Metallica Through the Never” is the first step of many in rebuilding the company, explains Picturehouse CEO Bob Berney. This film is using little paid advertising, relying more on the social media followers of the band itself.

Berney hopes this will lead to more investment for new films, beginning with “The Great Gilly Hopkins,” based on the children’s novel, and the addition of home entertainment deals.