A New Gene Wilder Movie Is Happening
We still miss him.
This article is more than 2 years old
The beloved late actor Gene Wilder is getting a documentary about his life from White Horse Pictures. White Horse Pictures is known for its production of acclaimed documentaries about the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Lucille Ball, Pavarotti, and more. Those who want to get a deeper dive into the life and career of the acclaimed Wilder will definitely want to check this out when it comes to fruition.
The Gene Wilder doc will be directed by Chris Smith of Library Films. Chris Smith has previously directed documentaries such as Bad Vegan and 100 Foot Wave. The documentary is sure to give us a unique look into Wilder’s life, as it will be told from the perspective of his nephew, Jordan Walker-Pearlman. Having someone from Wilder’s family shedding light on the incredible actor will definitely make this documentary a special and one-of-a-kind effort. The documentary is set to show Wilder’s rise to fame and his life off-screen as well.
Gene Wilder is perhaps best known for his role as Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, though he has had many acclaimed roles. Some other notable efforts from Wilder include Young Frankenstein, The Producers, and Blazing Saddles. Wilder was a brilliant comedic actor but also brought shades of nuance to his roles. Wilder had an undeniably magnetic screen presence and could elevate any of the movies he played a role in. Wilder passed away in 2016 at the age of 83 after battling Alzheimer’s for several years.
If this documentary manages to catch the spirit and magnetism of Gene Wilder, it will certainly be a special one to watch. White Horse Pictures recently worked with Amy Poehler who directed Lucy and Desi, the documentary about Lucille Ball and her relationship with Desi Arnaz. The documentary provided a comprehensive, intriguing look into the life and career of Lucille Ball, and the upcoming Wilder documentary will likely follow in its footsteps. White Horse has two additional documentaries in the works — one about Bill Preston and another about the ventriloquist Shari Lewis and her sock puppet Lamb Chop. With the film pedigree of White Horse and the elite filmmakers they choose to work with, it seems like the Gene Wilder documentary will definitely be a great addition to their resume.
In addition to White Horse Pictures, Sobey Road Entertainment, Harlem Hollywood and Mojo Global Arts are on to produce the Gene Wilder doc. According to Variety’s report, the documentary came about because Sobey Road Entertainment’s Andrew Trapani knew Jordan Walker-Pearlman and the project eventually came together. In addition to Jordan Walker-Pearlman being Wilder’s nephew, he also visited Wilder on every film set of his until he passed away in 2016. He had turned down previous offers to make a documentary about Wilder, so clearly he felt this was the right time and right team to tell the story. If you’ve been waiting for an interesting career retrospective and life story for the late, great Gene Wilder, it seems like this will be the one to watch.
