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EXCLUSIVE: In a deal that when closed will be worth $15 million, Warner Bros Discovery has emerged as frontrunner to land the Sundance buzz title documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story, sources said. The inspirational film is about the late actor best known for playing the Man of Steel. Docu’s focus is on how he found strength and purpose through activism after he was paralyzed in an equestrian accident. I believe that puts the film in precedent setting territory for a docu launched at Sundance. Numerous bidders have been in the mix, but I hear it’s likely to land at the home of the Superman film franchise.
The Sundance docu category is on fire, as numerous bidders also chase Will & Harper, the road trip between Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, after the latter surprised his pal he’d come out as a trans woman.
Super/Man is directed by Ian Bonhote, and Peter Ettedgui and written by the two of them and Otto Burnham. The film, backed by Words + Pictures (a North Road company), Passion Pictures and Misfits Entertainment, left buyers buzzing since its premiere January 21 at The Ray Theatre. The filmmakers used never-before-seen home movies and extraordinary personal archives to reveal how Reeve went from unknown actor to iconic movie star as the ultimate screen superhero. He learned the true meaning of heroism as an activist after suffering a tragic accident that left him quadriplegic and dependent on a ventilator to breathe.
Sources said part of the studio’s pitch is to use its ownership of the original Richard Donner-directed Superman that launched Reeve’s star (the one with Marlon Brando), to help promote the film. That certainly would make the film a glove fit for the studio. There is also a DC Superman revamp Superman: Legacy, coming in 2025, written and directed by James Gunn and produced by Peter Safran. They run DC Entertainment, so it is easy to see the opportunities for synergy here.
The deal is being brokered by Cinetic. Stay tuned.
