Gene Wilder Doc To Get U.S. Release After Kino Lorber Worldwide Pickup; Mel Brooks, Alan Alda, Carol Kane Among Contributors

Andreas Wiseman
·3 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Kino Lorber has acquired all rights worldwide to Ron Frank’s documentary Remembering Gene Wilder, a portrait of the life and career of the beloved actor and comedian.

Featuring highlights from Wilder’s most memorable films as well as interviews with his closest friends, family, and fellow comics, the film will next play as the Closing Night movie of the New York Jewish Film Festival on January 24.

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Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical release in March 2024, followed by a home video, non-theatrical, and digital release.

Wilder, who died in 2016, is best known for his collaborations with Mel Brooks in The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Blazing Saddles, his partnership with Richard Pryor in movies like Silver Streak and Hear No Evil, See No Evil, and his performance as the mysterious chocolatier in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

The doc touches on the actor’s Jewish upbringing in Milwaukee, marriage to Gilda Radner, and his final chapter living with Alzheimer’s. It will include never-seen-before home movie footage, narration by Wilder from the audiobook of his memoir, and interviews with collaborators including Mel Brooks, Alan Alda, Carol Kane, and his widow Karen Boyer Wilder.

Directed by Ron Frank and written by Glenn Kirschbaum, Remembering Gene Wilder was the Opening Night selection of the Boston and San Francisco Jewish Film Festivals, as well as the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, where it won Best Picture. The film is executive-produced by husband and wife producing team David Knight and Julie Nimoy of Health Point Productions; Julie’s father, Leonard Nimoy, was Wilder’s longtime friend and onetime director.

The deal for Remembering Gene Wilder was negotiated by Kino Lorber Senior Vice President Wendy Lidell and entertainment attorney Gary Goldberger.

“It’s hard to not have a smile on your face when Gene Wilder is on screen – whether you’re watching him as Willy Wonka, Leo Bloom, Dr. Frankenstein, or any of his wildly creative, instantly memorable characters, Wilder’s humor, warmth, and effortless charisma is universally appealing,” said Wendy Lidell, SVP of Theatrical Distribution and Acquisitions for Kino Lorber.

She continued: “In this loving, career-spanning documentary, Ron Frank has captured both the public Gene Wilder that we all know and love as well as the more private Gene, a funny, kind, and gentle man beloved by his family, friends, and confidants. We’re thrilled to share this film with audiences worldwide, so they can join us in spending 92 delicious minutes with the magical man behind the characters we love.”

“I first met Gene Wilder the way so many did: as a kid in the cinema, laughing so hard at Blazing Saddles that I nearly fell off my seat. It’s been a privilege to laugh, cry, and reminisce about Gene as we worked on this documentary, and it couldn’t have been done without the support of his wife Karen, his family, and so many of his closest friends. We’re delighted to partner with Kino Lorber to bring this film to audiences everywhere and celebrate Gene’s legacy,” added director Ron Frank.

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