Don Argott is directing the film about the man behind the ‘Back to the Future’ car.
We’ve got some news about the next documentary from two of our favorite filmmakers, Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce (The Art of the Steal, Last Days Here), and it involves a certain actor currently known best for his Donald Trump impression. From XYZ Films:
Los Angeles, CA (September 12, 2017) — XYZ Films announced today that film star Alec Baldwin has signed on to play John DeLorean in a series of scripted scenes that will be added to their UNTITLED JOHN DELOREAN DOCUMENTARY. Supporting roles for the narrative scenes are currently being cast. Baldwin’s hair and makeup team from “Saturday Night Live” have also been enlisted to transform him into the iconic automobile maker.
The film is directed by Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce (THE ART OF THE STEAL, LAST DAYS HERE, BATMAN & BILL) and produced by Tamir Ardon, XYZ Films and 9.14 Pictures and backed by Ingenious. Production is currently under way, with the narrative scenes to be shot shortly. Sundance Selects is distributing the film domestically, and the film is scheduled to be released in 2018.
A documentary fused with narrative scenes, this portrait of John Z. DeLorean covers the enigmatic automaker’s rise to stardom and shocking fall from grace. Interviews with colleagues, employees, lawyers, friends and family who knew him best are interspersed with dramatized vignettes, including a performance by Alec Baldwin -as they all endeavor in their own ways to uncover the real DeLorean.
“Sheena Joyce and Don Argott are two of the most intelligent and creative filmmakers that I’ve come across over the last many years. Their documentary, THE ART OF THE STEAL, is among my favorites of all time and I look forward to collaborating with them on their inventive take on the life of John DeLorean,” said Baldwin.
“We are so honored to have the opportunity to explore the complex character of John Z. DeLorean with the legendary Alec Baldwin. As longtime fans, we cannot wait to see DeLorean through the lens of Alec’s immense talent and sharp intellect. We’re confident this collaboration will lead to an exciting film about a mysterious, misunderstood automotive icon,” said Argott and Joyce.
“One of the original intentions of the project was to dissect John DeLorean via traditional documentary research and by exploring previously un-produced John DeLorean narrative projects that never got off the ground, “ said Ardon. “With the help of Alec Baldwin transformed into John DeLorean, we can achieve that original goal in a very meta way where fact and fiction intertwine.”
9.14 Pictures has most recently produced the Hulu documentary BATMAN & BILL, and is also known for the documentaries THE ART OF THE STEAL and LAST DAYS HERE.
XYZ also produced and is handling sales on three TIFF titles, Brian Taylor’s thriller, MOM AND DAD, starring Nicolas Cage, the S.Craig Zahler action thriller BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99, which stars Vince Vaughn and Don Johnson and I KILL GIANTS staring Zoe Saldana and Imogen Poots.
