The Safdie Bros Are Executive Producing A Documentary About Legendary Comic Andy Kaufman
At this year's Wrestlemania, "Jackass" star Johnny Knoxville stepped into a WWE ring to have an incredibly entertaining match against Sami Zayn. But long before Knoxville or "Heels" star Stephen Amell or David Arquette of the "Scream" franchise laced up a pair of boots and had matches of their own, comedian Andy Kaufman paved the way for more collaboration between mainstream Hollywood and professional wrestling.
This isn't even the tip of the iceberg that is Kaufman's legendary career, as he appeared on the premiere episode of "Saturday Night Live," starred on the hit sitcom "Taxi," and even performed at Carnegie Hall before his death in 1984 from lung cancer at age 35. Despite his short time in the business, the mischievous song and dance man left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry that can still be seen today.
And though his story lives on in projects like Jim Carrey's 1999 film "Man on the Moon," the 2014 book "Andy Kaufman: The Truth, Finally" by Kaufman's girlfriend Lynn Margulies Osgood and his frequent collaborator Bob Zmuda, and the 2019 Eisner Award winning biographical graphic novel "Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman" by Box Brown, "Won't You Be My Neighbor" producer and "Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain" director Morgan Neville is joining forces with Josh and Benny Safdie to produce the definitive documentary about the cult favorite performer.
Here I come to save the day
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Neville's Tremolo Productions has joined forces with the Safdie's Elara Pictures to produce a new documentary from Emmy-nominated director Alex Braverman that features previously unreleased footage and audio recordings that includes Andy Kaufman's early work. In a statement accompanying the THR report, Braverman shared his excitement to be working on this doc:
"No matter how many times I watch Andy Kaufman's work, I feel like I'm seeing a magic trick for the very first time. I'm excited for our project to honor that. This is the film I've wanted to make my entire life."
In addition to Neville and the Safdies, producers of Kaufman's 1980 special "Andy Kaufman Plays Carnegie Hall" Rick Rubin and Chuck Braverman are also on board to executive produce this documentary, alongside Wavelength Founder and CEO, Jenifer Westphal.
While they're all still currently searching for network or studio backing for the project, the team has acquired exclusive deals to work with key members of Kaufman's inner circle, including Zmuda and Osgood. I'll bet that they're similarly seeking the involvement of former cast mates, those inspired by Kaufman's unprecedented performance art, and maybe Jim Carrey. However, hopefully they can lock down the holy grail of interviews for anything involving Kaufman: Tony Clifton.