Award-winning documentarian Clay Tweel (Gleason) has been set to direct the first authorized feature doc on comedy legend Andy Kaufman for Campfire Studios, Seven Bucks Productions, Worldwide Pants Incorporated and Fifth Season.
Fully financed by Fifth Season (Being Mary Tyler Moore, Kiss the Future) – with EVP of non-scripted and documentary Mary Lisio overseeing – the film will be produced in partnership with The Andy Kaufman Estate. Boasting unprecedented and exclusive access to Kaufman’s family, as well as personal and never-before-seen archives and private recordings — provided by the Estate — and all Kaufman-related archival material from the estate of his longtime manager George Shapiro, it will track the creative process of a performance artist who operated at an undefinable frequency.
A comedian uninterested in “telling jokes,” Kaufman was lauded for his live performances (including his iconic, sellout Carnegie Hall special), his role as Latka Gravas on ABC’s Taxi and his appearances on SNL (including the inaugural episode), his alter ego Tony Clifton and late-night talk shows – particularly, on Late Night with David Letterman. He was equally well-known for outlandish stunts, such as reading The Great Gatsby cover-to-cover onstage in front of a live audience, and offering $1,000 to any woman who could pin him in a wrestling match. Kaufman’s love for professional wrestling also sparked a public feud and multiple “run-ins” with wrestling icon Jerry Lawler — including the wrestler’s infamous “slap” of Kaufman on Letterman’s show in 1982.
Jim Carrey famously played Kaufman in Man on the Moon, the 1999 biopic that premiered at the Berlin fest and won the Best Director Silver Bear for Milos Forman. The film also scored Golden Globe and Critics Choice nominations for Best Picture and a Best Actor nom for Carrey from the SAG Awards.
The Kaufman documentary will investigate the origins of the artist’s unparalleled creative choices and his personal definition of “funny,” aiming to demystify the human being behind the act, with insight from his closest family, friends and collaborators. Producers include Seven Bucks’ Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Brian Gewirtz, Campfire’s Ross M. Dinerstein, and Shannon Riggs. Letterman will exec produce for Worldwide Pants, along with Tom Keaney, Tyler Kaufman, Tweel, Tommy Avallone, Ross Girard and Rebecca Evans.
Said EP Tyler Kaufman, “My uncle Andy was a comic genius who continues to inspire artists around the world. There has never been anyone like him and there never will be. He delighted and provoked, and was just as comfortable creating anger and confusion as laughter.
“He made indelible impressions,” continued Kaufman. “His work is as vibrant today as ever, and we’re thrilled to join this filmmaking team in bringing viewers a very intimate and comprehensive look into his life and career.”
“Like many, I’m infinitely fascinated by Andy’s approach to comedy and to ‘showbusiness,’ in general,” remarked Dinerstein. “He’s influenced generations of comics, but there will never be another performer like him. Working with the Kaufman Estate and this particular production group, we feel well-equipped to shed light on Andy’s life, career and genius.”
Added Tweel, “I’ve always loved Andy because he was able to elicit such emotional reactions to his performances by using both the poignant and the absurd to keep his audience off balance. I hope we can honor his legacy in that way with our film.”
