Pic: Flickr (Creative Commons licence)
Amazon Studios has acquired US and Latin American rights to the documentary Val, directed by Leo Scott and Ting Poo and the the first feature in a slate of documentaries and doc-series being produced by A24, the Academy Award-winning company company behind Minari, Lady Bird and Moonlight.
The film is culled from the thousands of hours of footage shot by actor Val Kilmer over the past 40 years, ranging from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors and Batman Forever. The Amazon statement describes how “this raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.”
Producers on the film include Boardwalk Pictures’ Andrew Fried, Dane Lillegard, Jordan Wynn; TwainMania’s Ali Alborzi and Brad Koepenick and Val Kilmer himself; Leo Scott of Cartel Films, and Ting Poo.
While Amazon Studios will release the documentary later this year in the US and Latin America, A24 controls all remaining worldwide rights.
Val Kilmer comments: “At least once a day for years I looked around and got this bittersweet feeling that there are a thousand reasons that this project could’ve been shipwrecked. I mean, what could a film look like of a man filming himself, sometimes daily, years at a time? It is unimaginable that this movie actually could’ve ever come to light without the partnership of my dear friends, Leo and Ting, and my producing partners. Tireless hours of editing and endless emotions with each new cut! I couldn’t be more proud to share this with the world!”
Adds Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “Filmmakers Leo Scott and Ting Poo have a unique, cutting-edge style and artistry, weaving together never-before-seen footage into a beautiful, raw story about this renowned and celebrated actor, artist and man… We’re excited to work with Val and the A24 team on their first produced documentary feature and to share this unprecedented film with audiences.”
