Joe Hahn says Linkin Park had to “repair and not be afraid to show” their “scars” in new documentary Unshatter.
The man in charge of the turntables, and director behind the upcoming film, has opened up about the emotional approach that shaped the project and the mindset the band adopted while rebuilding themselves following the death of frontman Chester Bennington in 2017.
He explained in an interview with BBC News: “The important part of it all is to not completely fix it, but have some kind of repair and not be afraid to show your scars … I think that’s just something that we thought of along the way and then the title of the film, Unshatter, which was one of our songs. I think that was just part of our ethos while making the music. So, it just seemed very appropriate to name the film that.”
Hahn also discussed how the band – which also includes Mike Shinoda, Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and Brad Delson – found a new spark with vocalist Emily Armstrong, whose arrival helped shape their From Zero era.
He said: “There’s like a certain energy that we have and hers [Emily] is like more dynamic in a way that’s very similar to Chester. They’re two different people. And then once we saw that spark, we just gravitated towards it… And then we’re like, okay, this is a real missing ingredient in what we’re doing.”
They also gained a new drummer in Colin Brittain after Rob Bourdon distanced himself from the group following Chester’s death and their hiatus.
The musician also addressed criticism surrounding the rock band’s evolution, saying fans often project their own expectations onto Linkin Park’s identity.
He told the outlet: “I think the criticisms come from different places … So based on the history and the great things that we’ve done, people take that as their own. So it’s easy for people to formulate this idea of what the band is, what it should be and what it’s allowed to do. But when it comes down to it, you have to let things be and then something great will come out of it.”
Unshatter arrives in cinemas worldwide on September 30, charting Linkin Park’s journey from early 2022 sessions through the making of From Zero and their explosive return to the stage in São Paulo, Brazil. The film blends rare archive footage, studio clips, behind‑the‑scenes moments and live performances, and will screen in standard cinemas as well as SCREENX, 4DX and Ultra4DX formats.
A companion live album, Unshatter (Live in São Paulo), lands September 25, with Somewhere I Belong (Live in São Paulo) available now.
Hahn said that the film captures “a very particular moment in Linkin Park’s history” and hopes audiences connect with its themes of friendship, resilience and moving forward.